


me, it's me!

by suisei (nanakomatsus)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Idols, Alternate Universe - Reality Show, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Mixed Formatting, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, Produce 101 AU, volleyboys and dancing and crying... love it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:33:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23510884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanakomatsus/pseuds/suisei
Summary: in which kageyama and hinata participate in a gruelling competition to see who rises to the top of the blue summit! alternatively, who’s to say being an idol isn’t an extreme sport?!
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 12
Kudos: 30





	1. EP.0

**Author's Note:**

> hello this fic is brought to you by lockdownxproduce101! disclaimer: more relationship tags will definitely be added in the future! also, minor characters are not tagged! because this is a survival show, screen time will be unfair but the main focus will be on the tagged characters. also also, you don't really need to be familiar with idols/ produce 101 to understand what happens but a little research won't do much harm and if there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask! please drop some comments on your predictions as the story moves along, i'd love to hear it! and finally, irregular updates.

**High Quality Idol!! is back for a fifth installment + details**

_Posted on 12/6/12 by The Watcher_

Following the recent success of its fourth season, High Quality Idol!! has officially announced the return of the popular survival show. It has been revealed in a recent press conference statement that the upcoming season will begin broadcast in early January next year.

Like the previous seasons, “High Quality Idol!!” centers on the idea of having viewers, “the nation’s producers,” create the boy group that they want. Season 5 will have viewers pick the final boy group’s debut concept, song, and group name as well.

The contestants will be performing this season’s song, “Fly” on the 7 July broadcast of TV Asahi’s “Music Station”. The song is predicted to be as sensational as the previous seasons’ song “Beginnings” which is heightening anticipation for what the song and its accompanying performance will be like.

Meanwhile, it has also been confirmed that Yachi Madoka would be taking over as MC for this new season of the show. Plus, the trainer lineup for this season has also been revealed. The contestants’ profiles will be released starting tomorrow.

TAGS: High Quality Idol Season 5, Variety, Idol

* * *

**#HQDOL5** @akaashioshi · 6h

hello i’m a new akaashi keiji fanacc pls follow back~ let’s vote for our #1 visual together~

Reply | Retweet | Like

**#HQDOL5** @akaashioshi · 2h

WAIT HE ALREADY HAS LIKE 5 FANSITESFJRDJK the presscon is like, ,,,in a MONTH WTFFDNJK

**hqidol5 soon** @oikawass · 3h

ah , i see the tl is back on our bs … we never learn huh

**NATION’S ACE** @ushioshi · 25m

ushijima for punching king 2012 i know he can punch the lights out of me i just KNOW

**#HQDOL5** @akaashioshi · 2h

akaashi keiji is trending #3……….. Power

* * *

3.24 am - 19/6/2012

**[HQDoru!!5] familiar faces???**

so i’d been following the trainee profile releases and noticed that there are quite a few faces I recognize…

  1. Oikawa Tooru - he’s a relatively famous ulzzang/ lifestyle vlogger. his sns following averages out to around 300k which imo, is pretty big
  2. Miya Atsumu - small time idol but pretty popular in the Hyogo area. also part of a pretty popular dance crew
  3. Kuroo Tetsurou - underground rapper goes by ‘kuroNeko’
  4. Bokuto Kotarou - b-boy national olympiad 2009, 2010. is also an instructor at En in shibuya
  5. Ushijima Wakatoshi - bigshot volleyball player, national team big i mean. very random. didn’t know about him until a friend pointed it out



for now, that’s about all i can name from the top of my head. i think this season is gonna be a big one! the profiles all seem to be gaining a lot of traction, though especially the ones i’ve listed. haven’t found my oshimen yet sigh but guess i’ll keep an eye on these hunks until i do~

Tags: hqdoru

tokyogirl

19-6-2012 8:31 pm

was just thinking the same when i saw oikawa! hes definitely gonna be one of the popular ones... top 10 by the first episode dare i say. i’ve got an oshimen already though: Semi Eita !!! i read that he’s in the dance scene as well… and hes so pretty… but i think i’ll keep an eye out for the others you mentioned, thanks!~

Reply

kitsunexxx

19-6-2012 5:45 pm

MIYA!!!!!!!! ATSUMU!!!!!! 

Reply

asdfghjkl

21-6-2012 6:30 am

we’ve got a good crop of visuals this year ladies hold on tight it’s about to get ugly

Reply

* * *

**[TRENDING] Top 5 #HQDol5 Contestants Who Went Viral**

_Posted on 21/6/12 by The Watcher_ _  
  
_

Contestants of High Quality Idol!! Season 5 are already gaining a lot of attention even before the show has started. Over the past week, the contestants’ profiles have been posted on the show’s SNS platforms. Most have already gained thousands of clicks. Some were even trending as fans began their search across the net for their oshimen. 

Here the top 5 contestants who are gaining recognition, and an early head start!

  1. Oikawa Tooru - 16.9k retweets, 54.5k likes
  2. Miya Atsumu - 15.8k retweets, 45.7k likes
  3. Akaashi Keiji - 15.3k retweets, 39.6k likes
  4. Kuroo Tetsurou - 15.1k retweets, 36.8k likes
  5. Ushijima Wakatoshi - 14.7k retweets, 30.1k likes



The first episode of High Quality Idol!! Season 5 will air on August 12, 2012 on TV Asahi at 11 P.M.

High Quality Idol!! is a reality idol survival show produced by Mnet Japan. It is a large-scale project in which the public ‘produces’ a unit group by choosing members from a pool of 99 trainees… _[Read more]_

TAGS: High Quality Idol Season 5, Variety, Idol

* * *

**HIGH QUALITY IDOL SEASON 5_FLY Performance 120707 EP. 0**

9,345,789 views · 7 days ago

Comments | 11K

moomoo · 6 days ago

this is so overwhelming… i think this might just be the best season so far

1.9k likes | Reply

atsumuiii · 3 days ago

is it just me or does the center look like a birb

1.2k likes | Reply

pdeusa · 7 days ago

Who are the boys at 3:03 , 4:15 and 4:55 ?

23 likes | Reply

merry me · 6 days ago

semi eita, akaashi keiji, kageyama tobio ^_^

pdeusa · 2 days ago

i think i just found my oshimen :o

hawksstan · 14 hours ago

WHOSE THE ONE WITH THE ORANGE HAIR WAVING AT THE END HES SO PRECIOUSSS T_T

57 likes | Reply

Joy · 3 hours ago

HINATA SHOYO!!! PLEASE STAN HIM!!!! HERE’S HIS PR VID yt.com/watch?v=34….

* * *

**HQDOL5 GLOBAL** @global_hqdol5 · 12m

[THREAD] #HQDOL5 070712 PRESSCON

|

1\. [PHOTO] All 99 contestants’ first group picture

|

2\. PD Hibarida announces that the final group will be managed by Johnny & Associates.

|

3\. National MC Yachi Madoka expresses her wish to be ‘a strict, motherly figure to the 99 trainees and will try the best to guide them to be polished, respectable idols with their own unique flair’.

|

Show full thread

**NATION’S ACE** @ushioshi · 2m

Op said that she almost fainted when the trainees came out to greet them bc they were all so tall ;;; esp ushi,, his shoulders are really broad (1)

**bokuto’s thighs** @owlboy · 37s

BOKUTO WAS GIVING ALL OF THEM FISTBUMPS AND HIGH FIVES AHHH IM SO JEALOUS TTTTTT

**tall dark handsome** @iwaoshi · 13m

how is he built like a mf tank but smiles so softly here i cant brain

[video]

**NATION’S ACE** @ushioshi · 26s

(2) she also said she felt like melting when he looked at her. His voice is really deep but he said thank you in such a cute way uwu-

**Center pick** @birdboy · 1m

hoshiumi really smiles with all his teeth showing and his eyes are so pretty and hes so petite but his aura ----

**HQDOL5 GLOBAL** @global_hqdol5 · 3m

We will be updating the fansite list for each trainee starting tonight.

* * *

r/hqdoru

[+689 -23] Posted by u/idorupdeusa - 8 hours ago

**DISCUSSION: [070712] PRESSCON @ MUSIC STATION**

This is a masterpost where you can freely post updates/ fantakens/ fan account moments of the trainees at today’s press conference. Please source otherwise your reply will be taken down. No fighting.

TAGS: hqdoru5, presscon

Comments

Sort by: Points

onepunchwoman [340 points - 8 hours ago]

The climate is quite different this season imo (in a good way). Op said in this tweet that all the fansites around her were not just taking pictures of their oshimen, but of everyone. All the trainees also went around to everyone. Most of them talked and interacted a lot. Overall, I hope the oshimen wars won’t be so intense this year.

Reply

>peach [234 points - 6 hours ago]

I agree! I followed most of the fansites that opened today and I see many of them tweeting that all of them are so good looking and well mannered it’s hard to keep their eyes on their oshimen haha. A list of multi-oshi fansites can be found here.

Reply

* * *

**[TRENDING] These 3 #HQDoru5 trainees are the most-talked about among male fans!**

_Posted on 8/7/12 by The Watcher_

Yesterday, the internet was abuzz as the 99 contestants of popular survival show High Quality Idol!! 5 made their first public appearance at the show’s press conference after their first live broadcast performance on Music Station.

Fans waited outside the TV station in the heat of the summer to catch a chance to interact with the contestants, who were given time to greet them freely. Among the hundreds of supporters, there was also a good number of male fans present as seen in this vlog posted by one of the fans on SNS with the caption ‘i think the m:f ratio is about the same for once www’.

Even online, as articles flooded in about the trainees that stood out the most, an average of 45% were male readers, a big difference compared to the previous seasons’ 22%. As of now, the most popular trainees among male fans are

1.Ushijima Wakatoshi

His background as a volleyball player has earned him a growing fanbase from fans of the sport and fans of idol culture alike.

2.Iwaizumi Hajime

His tanned good looks and impressive build has been gaining attention from both men and women.

3.Nishinoya Yu

A video of Nishinoya has been going viral since it was posted yesterday. It shows him dancing and interacting with the male crowd. He has been praised for treating them more as friends than fans.

To learn more about the trainees’ charms, stay tuned for the introduction videos that will be posted starting tonight on High Quality Idol!! 5’s SNS accounts.

High Quality Idol!! is a reality idol survival show produced by Mnet Japan. It is a large-scale project in which the public ‘produces’ a unit group by choosing members from a pool of 99 trainees… _[Read more]_

TAGS: High Quality Idol Season 5, Variety, Idol

Comments: best

allmighty [+798 -12]

I think more than wanting to be with them, male fans want to be them…

rabbit [+501 -34]

to me idols that treat fans as friends are the coolest

solonely [+399 -22]

all of them are real manchitnam _(Korean abbreviation for an anime character who came to the real world)_

* * *

**HIGH QUALITY IDOL 5 | 日向 翔陽 (HINATA SHOYO) | @自己紹介_1分PR**

257,987 views · 2 days ago

Comments | 2K

moominpro · 2 days ago

THIS BOY HAS NO CHILLLLLL LMAOOOOO

250 likes | Reply

promare · 1 day ago

A Literal Ball of Sunshine

869 likes | Reply

ayumooo · 5 hours ago

omfg i fckin lost it when hee started shOUTING HIS OWN FANCHANTRDFHKJ loving this chaoTIC GOD

1.4k likes | Reply

**HIGH QUALITY IDOL 5 | 影山 飛雄 (KAGEYAMA TOBIO) | @自己紹介_1分PR**

355,333 views · 2 days ago

Comments | 2.7K

izonezone · 12 hours ago

why T_T is he T_T so awkward T_T and cute T_T

89 likes | Reply

pinkblack · 1 day ago

you know he seems like the cool cold visual type but nooooooo he’s just …………….a Dork

556 likes | Reply

x101x · 10 hours ago

he looks like a lost puppy the way he just stared at the books that fell…

128 likes | Reply

**HIGH QUALITY IDOL 5 | 黒尾 鉄朗 (KUROO TETSURO) | @自己紹介_1分PR**

422,998 views · 1 day ago

Comments | 3.2K

batsbydray · 22 hours ago

this guy is the definition of drop it like it’s hot

2.3k likes | Reply

VOTE KURONEKO · 9 hours ago

his voice, his little smirk, his bedhead hair, his TAN everything… he’s the hottest hqdol contestant hands down

97 likes | Reply

Pdeusa · 33 minutes ago

i agree with almost everything you said but,, ,have you seen iwaizumi hajime/?

44 likes | Reply

bakughost · 18 minutes ago

i found our first hoe of the season

12 likes | Reply

* * *

r/hqdoru

[+569 -78] Posted by u/idorupdeusa - 2 days ago

**[POLL]#HQDOL5 Visual Center Results - Top 5**

  1. Akaashi Keiji - 15,672 votes
  2. Oikawa Tooru - 15,322 votes
  3. Semi Eita - 15,078 votes
  4. Kageyama Tobio - 14,997 votes
  5. Ushijima Wakatoshi - 14,881 votes



TAGS: hqdoru5, poll

Comments

Sort by points

Bluebird [+985 -122]

atsumu not even in the top 5? fake.

Reply

>momomoo [+211 -119]

yeah, iwaizumi as well ugh people only care about looks

Reply

>onepunchwoman [+425 -12]

it literally says VISUAL CENTER…….. VISUAL…

Reply

emilystrange [+888 -97]

honestly i think this is quite perfect and if you factor in trending articles as well it’s pretty accurate to what the general public thinks as well

Reply

sakuragis [+724 -12]

cant wait to see the trainees picks hehe ~

Reply

* * *

**[070812] High Quality Idol!! 5 EP. 1 Preview - TRANS**

Posted on 8 August 2012 by queenslove

2,356 notes

Hello guys, onepunchwoman here! Another year, another season of hqdol!! Of course as usual, I’ve been keeping up-to-date with the trainees. I think I found my oshimen (please vote for hinata, he’s pure sunshine!) but who knows, it might change (as it always does haha). Okay, I’m not gonna use my translator privileges to influence you guys (much, yet). 

First, I just want to answer a few questions that all of you have been badgering me about:

  1. Are you going to be on the sub team this season again? >Yes!
  2. What is the schedule like? >Since the time slot is the same, then we’ll follow last season’s schedule which is every Sunday night/ Monday morning.
  3. Additional: We have extra help this time round so the finale will most probably have livesubs!
  4. Anything else, and you can always drop an ask or dm us on twitter! (but please, read our notices first so we don’t have to keep repeating ourselves >.<)



Now, on to what you all came for!

(Starts around the 0:25 mark, after the theme song medley)

TEXT: One summer day… Calm, collected footsteps…. And suddenly!

HINATA: Noya-san! Look, it’s huge! It’s sooooo huge! [T/N: he’s so cute please]

NISHINOYA: You’re right! Last one up gets a smack!

TEXT: Then…! One by one… Really. Tall. Guys.

GOSHIKI: Maybe if I did more pull ups I’d be as tall- [T/N: PROTECC]

TENDOU: I don’t think that’s how it works.

TEXT: Really. Good-looking. Guys.

YAMAMOTO: It’s okay, we’ll win with our dancing!

LEV: Your bodhisattva face is showing, bro. [T/N: RIP YAMAMOTO]

TEXT: Really. Good. Dancing.

UKAI: You’ve got a good rhythm. That was too stiff. No balance at all. Not bad… [T/N: He’s scary…]

TEXT: Flowing. Vocals.

MADOKA: You went flat for half the song. Listen to the beat. What a pretty tone.

TEXT: Powerful. Rap.

SAEKO: Good flow. Bad diction. Horrible rhythm. That was creative…

TEXT: A hidden ace…?

AKAASHI: He’s good.

ARAN: That power...

TEXT: Be ready! At 11 pm…

TRAINEES: We are in your hands!

And that’s all~ I’ll sub the rest of EP.0 tonight so stay tuned!

Reblog

Like


	2. EP.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Watch High Quality Idol!! 5 Episode 1 Online at kissidol.tv SUBS brought to you by HiQyu!!Subs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !check out the 𝅘𝅥𝅮 symbol for links to the videos the performance is based off!

**_EPISODE 1_ **

_He sees it in his dreams; the triangle, like a mountain, a dazzling white against a blue sky._

_He’s tired, he feels it; the way his body aches and his throat clenches. But his body doesn’t stop its upward trek, his legs moving of their own accord, his blood pumping through his veins. He feels like one of those ancient trucks that passes by sometimes, while he’s jogging in the morning, making its way to the market. The steady, sputtering hum of it. Beaten and still going. He’s just an arm’s length away from the summit._

_His eyes begin to hurt. The sky is too bright._

“Oi, Kageyama!” His eyes flutter open to find Nishinoya pointing at him by the windows, the curtains drawn, the sunlight surrounding him like a vicious halo. He blinks, adjusting to the brightness.

“Bath in five,” the elder chirps, making his way out, not without forgetting a noogie to which the younger accepts soundlessly, still trying to blink the haze out of his mind. He checks his phone. 4.50 a.m. His gaze goes to the window, the morning sky a pale purple hue with hints of clear, blue sky for the day.

It is summer, after all.

They don’t normally take baths in the morning, much less shower, if at all. In the end, they’re just cooped up in the practice rooms without a hint of daylight until lunch. If they’re lucky, they’ll catch the sunset for dinner but until midnight, it’s just them, the mirrors and the hardwood floor, thrumming with the same four songs for months on end.

That’s how it has always been. But not today.

So he sits staring at his own reflection in the misty mirror as he brushes his teeth. Beside him, Hinata hums a tune, scrubbing himself down. There’s a splash somewhere further which he figures is Nishinoya or Tanaka drawing first blood on the bath. 

“What are you staring at?” His orange-haired roommate fusses, frowning at him. Kageyama blinks, a wave of irritation washing over him, anchoring him to normality, what he knows best.

“Nothing, idiot.” And he spits his paste into the drain, drenches his body with soap then a pail of water in quick succession and rises to head to the bath. The shorter catches on and can barely stand up before breaking into a sprint as they race to the tubs. 

It’s their third time in the salon. Yachi the intern is there as well, greeting them with a shy smile.

“Aren’t you nervous?” She asks them tentatively, later as they’re finishing up. He’s about to answer when the shrimp beats him to it with a cheeky grin.

“No, but Pouty-yama here sure is. He’s been sulking the whole morning,” he says. Hitoka turns to him, as if trying to see for herself. He looks away with a click of his tongue.

“I’m not nervous.”

“Well, you’ve been awful quiet-”

“I’m focusing, idiot.”

“That’s what a nervous person would say-”

Yachi laughs. “No, I don’t think he is. Sorry, Hinata.” So Kageyama side-smirks him, _hah_ , rolling his eyes as the other fumes, buzzing in discontentment as the hairdresser calmly holds him down for a can of hairspray.

“Good luck. You’ll do well,” Yachi says as they get ready to leave. Tanaka and Nishinoya thrust their thumbs up at her, grinning. 

“You’ll bet,” they say in unison, with fierce resolve. Hinata jumps up noisily.

“We’ll win everything!” He announces, fluttering around to high-five all six other staff members. Yachi turns to him, raising her eyebrows, silently insisting for an answer. Kageyama nods.

“Yeah.”

Takeda-sensei is waiting for them in the van outside. He almost doesn’t notice them, caught up in fiddling with his phone and muttering to himself. 

“Now that’s nervous,” Nishinoya whispers with a small smile. Hinata stifles a laugh.

“Yo, sensei!” Tanaka greets, climbing into the van with an impressed whistle. It’s a big one. It’s their first time in it.

“They really went all out for us, huh,” he says appreciatively. Hinata sucks in a breath, taking to bouncing on the leather seats. Nishinoya joins him in the back, the two of them chattering excitedly over what songs to plug in. Kageyama goes in last, sitting behind Takeda-sensei, headphones on, eyes shut.

He doesn’t notice the other three staring at him.

“Maybe just a little nervous,” Tanaka says in a hushed voice. The other two nod along.

He stares at the logo for a long time, marker at the ready, hand hovering above the empty area beside it. 

“You boys can go in now. The next group’s arriving soon,” comes a staff member’s voice from somewhere at the other end of the room. The other three reply with an enthusiastic ‘yes ma’am’ and finish up their scribbling. Hinata pauses beside him.

“So?” He prods, staring up between the spot Kageyama’s about to write on and his labelmate’s face taut in concentration. The taller clenches his jaw and finally begins to move his hand. As soon as he’s done, he turns away swiftly without another word.

Hinata grins after him, jogging to catch up, throwing a final glance at their masterpieces on the wall.

_‘We are the CROWS!’_

_‘WE ARE #1!’_

_‘To the top!!’_

_‘We will win.’_

* * *

“What a great day it is to be Oikawa Tooru,” Oikawa says with a dramatic sigh, winking at his reflection in the mirror. He promptly ignores a viciously cringing Iwaizumi beside him.

He’d woken up with a spring in his step, like something out of one of those American musicals. Granted, Iwaizumi did nearly punch the lights out of him when he burst into song as a morning greeting. But that had not been enough to put a dent into his impenetrable good mood! 

“You’re doing well,” Hana says, a little too politely. Oikawa hums blissfully, smiling to himself as his skin absorbs the setting spray.

“He’s being an asshole,” Iwaizumi grumbles, side-eyeing his labelmate through the mirror. The brunette ignores him, foot tapping to an imaginary beat.

“Hello, Japan! Oikawa Tooru here, nice to meet you all!” He greets the cameras as soon as they enter the holding box, waving all around with that dazzling smile. Iwaizumi barely holds himself back from socking him in the throat and instead takes to rolling his eyes and shaking his head. 

But he can’t help the little quirk of his lips as he listens to Oikawa babbling to no one.

Then, just beyond the opening at the other end of the room comes a collective gasp, followed by an excited buzzing as what they assume is their label’s logo being displayed on the iconic LED screen above the main stage.

As they get ready for their grand entrance, Oikawa touches the back of his hand to Iwaizumi’s, smiling. The raven-haired boy quirks an eyebrow at him. He just grins, like he knows something, but Iwaizumi knows too; _we’re going all out_. So he nods, relenting a smirk.

It’s as they’re choosing a spot to sit at when Oikawa lets out a small, amused laugh.

“Oh-ho?” Iwaizumi follows his gaze. There, sitting at number ten, just one row below the coveted sofa seats is-

Oikawa’s already pulling ahead, waving like he’s meeting a long-lost relative, that same fake, dazzling smile plastered on, eyes gleaming dangerously. Iwaizumi sighs to himself and follows suit with a low, casual greeting.

“Tobio!” Oikawa calls out breezily. Iwaizumi wants to kick him down the stairs but he can’t because they’re on national TV.

  
  


Kageyama Tobio greets them with a polite bow, plain as always. His teammates however, stare at them openly; first in awe, then sizing them up as competition, a sort of determination blazing in their eyes, all of them. Iwaizumi grins, then. _That’s more like it._

“Catch ya later,” Oikawa says, almost dismissively. And, as soon as he turns away, his eyes storm over, fixed to the top of the pyramid. Iwaizumi hears them.

‘Is he going for number one?’ _Who wouldn’t?_

‘It suits him.’ _Damn right it does._

But they each take a sharp turn in opposite directions and, just as predicted, there’s a muted mix of shock and relief. Oikawa grins at him from #2 as Iwaizumi settles in beside him, at #3. The view is good enough. This will be a fun watch.

* * *

“I wonder what sort of monsters we’ll encounter today,” Tendou wonders aloud, almost gleefully as they make their way through the winding studio tunnels. 

Semi rolls his eyes before his gaze begins to wander. There are a lot of staff bustling around, speaking urgently into walkie-talkies, untangling camera wires and paying them no mind. There must be more than a hundred of them. _Well, it_ is _High Quality Idol after all,_ he thinks. A show with a budget equal to that of a small town’s annual receivings.

“Let’s run through the plan again,” Semi begins, just a few moments before they enter the main stage. 

“Confidence,” Ushijima says plainly, but he’s getting restless, eyes growing hungry.

“Kindness,” Tendou sing-songs mockingly, obviously couldn’t be bothered to care less. Semi shrugs, whatever, every man for himself. And finally…

“Tsutomu, you already know, don’t you?” He pushes gently, with a reassuring smile. Their youngest nods determinedly.

“Crush the competition,” Goshiki says, a wicked grin spreading across his face. Semi returns it, smacking him on the back.

Without further delay, they step out into the light.

Most of them shift uneasily from the get-go. Out of the corner of his eyes, Semi catches a glimpse of Ushijima’s calm, piercing gaze, enough to send chills down anyone’s spine. 

Then, at the top of their lungs, in perfect unison “We look forward to working with you!” they shout and it goes quiet for a moment. The response after is good, with a little scattered applause and enthusiastic replies. Okay, so far so good.

“Now, where shall we sit?” Tendou says, rubbing his palms together, eyeing the pyramid like a predator eyeing its kill.

Cue- 

Goshiki steps forward, expression fierce and determined. He turns back to them, over his shoulder and says the thing, “I’ll be going on ahead, senpai.” They nod back at him, grinning like proud parents.

As he scales the steps, all eyes are on him.

_He’s really going for it._

They watch as he hovers over the seat, not hesitantly, no, more like savouring it. Semi can imagine the gleeful look on his face already. _Greedy brat,_ he thinks fondly. 

And when Goshiki does sit, he’s smiling. Genuinely, like a little kid who’d managed to squeeze a free ice cream. They clap for him, egging him on.

“Shall we?” Tendou snakes to the front, hands in his pockets, smirking, ever the picture of slyness. Ushijima goes second, like a general leading an army, poised and on-guard at all times. Semi shakes his head and follows suit, smiling.

They take the smack-dab middle- seats 30-33, according to plan. Except, it was a mistake.

Because Semi can feel it- that bat-shit crazy irritating aura. He doesn’t need to turn around to figure who it’s coming from.

“Is it just me or-” He begins in a half-whisper. Tendou hums, leaning back into his seat, arms behind his head, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

“Yep, it’s that ‘King’ guy. What a pain,” he says with a snicker. Ushijima passively looks on. Semi sighs.

“Well, you can’t go to heaven without meeting the devil first,” he says, resigning his fate to the torture that will be the first bootcamp.

It had been a joint practice a few months back. Something about healthy competition and good relationships. Oikawa had looked right about ready to throw away his years of training for a life sentence behind bars when Ushijima had pointed out his ‘incorrect form’ and ‘graceful technique’. It was a treat, getting to see how red he’d been, that dazzling, fake smile disappearing right off his pretty face.

“It wasn’t such a big deal,” Tendou says, as if privy to Semi’s thoughts. But the grin on his face is one of satisfaction. Small victories are victories nonetheless. Semi hopes they can see it again today.

* * *

The four Swans show up on the LED screen along with their predicted rankings. Two number ones from their youngest and their face, a nine from the cool-looking two-tone guy, and a ninety-nine from the red-head. Unexpected.

“You know them or somethin’?” He asks the brunette behind him, who’s obviously trying to keep his anger in check, failing to do as as he mutters to himself promises of murder and such.

“Hm? Them? Not in the slightest,” Oikawa says, feigning nonchalance. Kuroo scoffs. “That’s not how I see it,” he says and it could end here but he knows this guy will just take the bait-

“Well, we’ve had practices together. Our companies are a few streets away and all. But other than that, I don’t know them. Nor do I care to,” Oikawa replies, turning his nose up - as expected. Kuroo laughs. _What a funny guy._

Suddenly, there’s a loud cheer from below and out marches a mane of silver and black followed by locks of obsidian. _Ah, here comes another one_ , Kuroo thinks, smiling to himself in amusement.

“I’m Bokuto Koutarou, nice to meet you all!” The taller one shouts triumphantly, and his smile could blind. His partner greets them more respectfully, bowing politely betraying little emotion.

“What do you think, Akaashi?” Bokuto asks aloud. The shorter man pauses, scanning the pyramid, eyes calculating and cold and gorgeous. He says something after a moment, volume soft.

“Sounds good to me. We’ll be coming up then!” And he marches ahead, beaming. Bokuto offers handshakes and high-fives as they make their way up with Akaashi bowing politely and unapologetically behind him.

As they reach the row opposite the Lucky Cats’, Bokuto pauses, knitting his eyebrows as he stares at Kuroo. It’s a little unnerving. So he extends a hand first, trying with a small smile.

“Hey, man.” Bokuto takes his hand firmly, apparently still trying to decipher something in his head when- His face lights up, golden orbs gleaming with joy.

“You’re kuroNeko aren’t you?!” He exclaims, grip tightening. Kuroo puts on a lopsided smile, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

“That’s me. But it’s just Kuroo here,” he says. Bokuto lets go, throwing a thumbs up instead. “I’m looking forward to working with ya!”

Kuroo sits, feeling winded but somewhat enriched by the overwhelming exchange. Geez, this place is something else.

Later, when Yacho Madoka enters, all woman and gorgeous and scarier than anything else, for once in a very long time, he feels his nerves beginning to sizzle. He isn’t young like Lev and the Crows, all optimistic and energetic- he’s done this idol thing before and well, it hadn’t exactly turned out well. 

The clubs have been fun but he wants the rush of a bigger crowd. And he’s always been a sucker for that cookie-cutter stuff, deep down. He can’t ignore it anymore. So, when Tanaka Saeko steps out as a rap instructor, he’s sure he can’t mess this up a second time.

The rules are the same as the previous seasons; grades, theme song- the like, except this time-

“Only nine will make the final line up this time, as I’m sure you all have noticed by now,” she says, pointing a chin at the tip of the triangle where the temporary nine sit on their sparkly sofas, petrified. Kuroo raises his eyebrows in mild surprise. Nine out of ninety-nine as compared to the ten out of a hundred, this year. 

It’s just a difference of a person and yet…

“Do your best and show us what you’ve got to make it through the cut. Show the nation what you can do. Good luck,” she ends on a vaguely sinister note. _That’s Yachi Madoka for you,_ Kuroo thinks with a sigh as they settle down for the first performance.

He can tell what they’re all thinking. _Please make the first one a good one._

* * *

Date Dance Company.

They’re a group of three- two of which are freakishly tall, making their one shorter member look tiny between them. They’re clumsy, nervous and obviously still green.

“Akaashi, your thoughts are leaking outta your mouth, yannow,” Bokuto whispers loudly beside him with a goofy grin. The younger flushes, nodding.

“Sorry.” Bokuto’s about to say something but then [𝅘𝅥𝅮](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpB4BHNtrKw) Dancing Hero comes on full blast. The silver-haired man grins, delighted, and begins clapping. 

It isn’t long until the rest of the trainees catch on and join in. Akaashi does, too, because he knows what Bokuto is doing, and he thinks everyone else does as well. He keeps his eye on the performance. 

They’re not bad at all, but they’re nowhere near good either. If he could guess it’s only been-

“-4 months, correct?” Ukai Kenshin’s comes through the mic, sounding like he has a constant sore throat. The three boys nod, breathing heavily.

“...Cute,” Tanaka Saeko grins, seeming relaxed. Well, after all there was no rap in this one.

“Not bad, but you need to buck up, yeah. I wish you all the best at bootcamp,” Madoka says after they’ve gotten their grades - D class, all of them, as expected- her tone strict but motherly. They bow politely and walk off slightly dejected. Anyone would be.

“I thought they would’ve gotten an F, honestly,” Bokuto says as the next team is getting ready, hands behind his head, relaxed. But his eyes are sharp as ever. Akaashi raises an eyebrow.

“Well, considering it’s only been four months and they could memorize that version of the choreography as fast as they did, I’d say a D was the right choice,” the younger reasons. Bokuto processes that for a moment, before nodding his head along in agreement.

“Makes sense. You’re always so logical, Akaashi,” he says, turning to the raven-haired boy with a smile. 

“But I’d agree with you as well, Bokuto-san. They had no technique whatsoever.” 

Bokuto laughs heartily at that. Akaashi can’t help the small smile that forms on his lips.

The next few are also D-grades with a couple iffy Cs. It isn’t until the fourth performance that everyone straightens, Bokuto especially, who leans forward a little, a hungry shine in his eyes. Akaashi’s also a little excited himself.

Lucky Cat’s logo comes on and out walks a delinquent-type guy with a mohawk, another abnormally tall, mixed-looking kid and kuroNeko himself, Kuroo Tetsuro. 

* * *

“Nyan nyan~” The studio bursts into laughter. Oikawa coughs into his fist, nearly choking himself while Iwaizumi chuckles beside him. 

“For guys with those kinds of looks to say that…” 

“We are the Lucky Cats. Here to bring you luck,” they continue in unison, much to the delight of the audience. It is Tanaka Saeko who lets out a surprised exclaim into the mic.

“Kuroo Tetsuro, you’ve been active as kuroNeko, yes?” She muses.

“Yes, ma’am,” he answers coolly, but, as Oikawa squints, he catches the slight fumble of his fingers around the mic.

“You’ve been doing quite well as far as I know. What made you come on the show?”

There it is, that hesitation. Oikawa barely knows the guy but he can tell that Kuroo isn’t one to indulge in sob stories. But, it’s unavoidable here. People feed off this kind of thing. Everybody knows it.

“I was in a company when I was younger and I didn’t make the cut. I just thought I’d go on my own from then but… well, I want to be an idol. I always have. So…” he trails off sheepishly. Oikawa watches him. He’s good at acting.

They take their places. The room collectively holds their breath. Opening drum beats, funky, followed by a familiar nineties-esque beat.

([𝅘𝅥𝅮](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQQ3OLZarxY) Finesse Remix - Bruno Mars ft. Cardbi B)

“They’re good,” he hears Iwaizumi say. And they are. Mohawk is a dancer, alright. The tall one is obviously their youngest, a little awkward but his voice is steady and he doesn’t make any mistakes. And Kuroo-

The energy in the room amps up as he starts his verse and it’s _really_ good. Oikawa finds himself tapping a foot along, leaning forward in his seat. They’ve got excellent synergy and it shows throughout the whole performance.

There are cheers when they end and even the trainers seem impressed.

“You wrote that yourself?” Saeko asks, barely able to keep her excitement in check.

“Yes, ma’am,” Kuroo answers breathlessly. A wicked grin spreads across the rap trainer’s face and she looks like she’s going to compliment him-

“Could you do a freestyle?” Oikawa almost laughs. Ruthless as ever. But Kuroo doesn’t seem phased and he obligingly accepts the request.

“Number #21 please!” She calls out, adjusting her in-ear, as do the other trainers, with great interest. A trap beat comes on.

Kuroo gears up, waits four counts and lets loose.

He gets the first A of the day in the midst of the room’s shocked awe. Mohawk gets the B and their youngest, a C. Oikawa claps as they leave the stage, feeling his hands get cold and his heart overheat with excitement.

* * *

“Well that was a breath of fresh air,” Ukai says, stretching in his seat. “Next up is…”

“We are the Black Crows!” They greet with a burst of energy and it’s enough to wake everyone up from the lunchtime lull. The studio bursts into laughter as the four of them struggle to hold their respective Bruce Lee poses. 

Ukai chuckles, reading over their resumes.

“Kageyama-kun, it says here you’ve been active as a child star…” he trails off, looking up to eye the kid.

“Yes, sir. It was for the Junior Adlers,” he answers calmly. The dance trainer listens, considering for a moment as the other trainees break into a buzz.

“And you haven’t been active since. The Adlers are a big thing. Why did you leave?”

Kageyama stares at him, eyes growing dark, but it’s not malice towards him, Ukai feels. 

“Personal reasons.” Ah, there must be something else then. Ukai smiles, nodding in understanding.

“Alright then, I hope this new start goes well for you.”

Funky piano chords, a hard-hitting bass, a young-energy tune.

([𝅘𝅥𝅮 ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2Y3tdNmHGs) A - GOT7)

It’s the small, orange one who opens the song. Ukai raises his eyebrows in surprise. He’s got an overwhelming presence and high energy but… The other small one, Nishinoya, is also full of life. His rap’s got good flow and his dancing is sharp. Kageyama is a very stable vocalist, even as they throw their acrobatics around and run from one end to another, he doesn’t break a sweat. But his teammates’ overwhelming energy seems to bury him. And finally…

“Tanaka-kun, how come you’re not rapping?” Ukai almost flinches. Of course, it’s Madoka who asks the hard-hitting question. The boy is obviously flustered at the sudden inquiry.

“I- uh, I’m more comfortable on vocals,” he says, and everyone can tell he’s lying through his teeth. Madoka stifles a giggle.

“But you can rap, surely?” 

The boy gulps, nodding. Madoka nods.

“Do you have anything prepared?” She asks, and it’s not really a question. Tanaka nods. 

His teammates step back, giving him space.

“You’re Saeko’s brother, alright.” Madoka says later after he’s done and the applause has died down. “Now, the grades…” 

“A...”

Ukai watches all four of them, notices how hungry they all seem. They have the most drive so far and they’re not afraid to hide it.

“Nishinoya Yu.” They turn to their teammate, beaming, clapping him on the back, but he can see the burning desire in Kageyama’s eyes, the blinding determination he has…

“Next, B…” Kageyama obviously deflates, but he doesn’t look defeated, far from it. Beside him, the other two are beginning to get restless. Ukai smiles to himself.

“Kageyama Tobio.” He bows deeply and when he rises, he’s calm once more. 

“Tanaka Ryuunosuke.” The siblings both let out a breath of relief, the younger clenching his fists in a silent celebration. 

Ukai watches as Hinata’s eyes gradually begin to glow brighter, like a flame being fanned. 

“Finally… F.” The room breaks out into a buzz once more, surprised at the sudden jump. “Hinata Shoyo.” 

“That is all. Is there anything-” 

Hinata’s hand goes up. Ukai smiles and watches as he fumbles with the mic.

“May I know the reason, please?” 

Madoka finds Ukai’s gaze. _This one’s yours._

Clearing his throat, Ukai flips through their assessments. “I’ll go through all of your points, if that’s alright.” 

“Yes, sir!” 

“We’ll start with Nishinoya. Your dancing is sharp and you pay attention to the details, well done. Your rapping is stable and your breathing technique is good. You’re an all-rounder, definitely. However, getting an A should not be a reason for you to take it easy, okay? And that goes for all the other As. It should be motivation for you to improve as much as you can.

Tanaka, you’ve got power and good energy but your dancing lacks detail and technique. You’ve got solid vocals but there’s room for improvement there. And your rapping… you should take more confidence in it. We all know you’ve been working hard at it for a longer time. That’s something to think about.

Kageyama, you’re also an all-rounder. You’re incredibly stable and your movements are sharp; you’re an all-rounder like your teammate here. But, you lack in awareness and cohesion. You’re too focused on yourself to follow the flow of the performance. Your expressions are also lackluster. That’s why we gave you a B. 

And Hinata… You have the shortest training time out of the four of you with six months compared to your teammates who have a minimum of three years. It is only natural that you’d be excited to show your talents on such a big stage so early on but I’m afraid that excitement is what caused your grade. Your dancing is rushed, your rap is unsteady and lacking in rhythm,” Ukai pauses and the room seems to draw a breath with him. He looks up from the notes and straight at Hinata.

“But you’ve got good energy. And you’ve got drive. We can see that. So we hope that you can prove us wrong during the re-evaluation. This goes for all trainees. Regardless of your grades, you should always be motivated to do better. That is all.”

* * *

“Pick yourself up, Hinata!” Nishinoya says with a grin, clapping him on the back as they stand backstage, pasting their grades onto their name tags. Hinata nods determinedly, clenching his fists. Then, he feels a familiar gaze on his back and finds Kageyama staring at him. He bristles.

“What are you looking at?!” Hinata grumbles. Kageyama’s gaze wanders just behind him then.

“Nothing.”

“Oh, baby crow!” Comes a voice, powerful like a clap of thunder. The tall, buff guy with two-toned silver hair who’d high-fived them earlier stands beaming at them, a thumbs up brandished towards the group.

“Good work out there!” He says. His partner, a lanky black-haired boy greets them more politely with a small smile.

“Snowl, whenever you’re ready,” says the staff member by the entrance to the main stage.

“Well, that’s us! Cheer us on, alright?!” Bokuto says and marches out, full of confidence. 

Exchanging looks, they huddle in front of a stray monitor and watch as Bokuto waves at the crowd, grinning, full of confidence. 

The music starts off with a mid-tempo guitar riff before transitioning to an unexpectedly soft R&B beat.

([𝅘𝅥𝅮 ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piYGKdqt2bc) Say So - Doja Cat (Japanese Ver.)) 

“They’re good.” The three turn to Kageyama in surprise. “Their flow, their rhythm. You can’t compete with experience,” he looks at Hinata, who doesn’t have anything to say to that so he glares instead.

“He’s not even breaking a sweat,” Nishinoya notes, referring to Bokuto. Tanaka nods, 

“Dude is a force-”

* * *

“-of nature,” Kuroo says, grinning. 

The two of them are obviously the best so far in terms of technique, teamwork and energy.

“They’re so good it’s annoying,” he hears Oikawa say from behind him. Kuroo laughs. 

“Ah, Akaashi-san is so pretty it’s making my eyes hurt,” Yamamoto says beside him, with a blend of frustration and awe.

They both get an A after performing electrifying freestyles. Kuroo shakes his head in disbelief. _Monsters, the both of them._

He looks around, surveying the people who are left, and leans back into his seat, stretching his legs, a knowing smile playing at his lips.

And it just gets better.

* * *

**HIGH QUALITY IDOL 5 [NEXT WEEK] The 2nd Half of Evaluation! Group Battle START! EP. 02 20120819**

47,725 views · 5 hours ago

Comments | 114

peach · 56 minutes ago

can’t wait to see the group battle!!!

queenslover · 4 hours ago

wonder if anyone will beat ushijima in the race wwww

foxyfan · 2 hours ago

MIYA ATSUMU!!!!!

stepbystep · 45 minutes ago

whos going to be in monster team this time o_O

weewoo · 3 hours ago

Tis the season for hqdol fancams to takeover the internet :D

* * *

**HQDOL5 GLOBAL** @global_hqdol5 · 20m

EPISODE 1 RANKINGS:

1\. Oikawa Tooru  
2\. Akaashi Keiji  
3\. Miya Atsumu  
4\. Kuroo Tetsuro  
5\. Bokuto Kotaro  
6\. Ushijima Wakatoshi

|

7\. Hoshiumi Korai  
8\. Nishinoya Yu  
9\. Kageyama Tobio  
10\. Semi Eita  
11\. Iwaizumi Hajime  
12\. Goshiki Tsutomu

|

Show full thread

* * *

**[HOT] #HQDol5 Episode 1 Tops Viewership Ratings!**

_Posted on 12/8/2012 by The Watcher_

The first episode of popular idol survival show High Quality Idol!! Season 5 has achieved the highest rating for the weekend slot on TV Asahi with a rating of 5.3%, an increase from last season’s premier rating of 4.9%.

This episode introduced the trainees and followed their evaluations as they were graded into classes A, B, C, D and F. The episode also revealed that only nine trainees will be included in the final line up- a change from the 10 members of the previous seasons. 

High Quality Idol!! is a reality idol survival show produced by Mnet Japan. It is a large-scale project in which the public ‘produces’ a unit group by choosing members from a pool of 99 trainees… _[Read more]_

TAGS: High Quality Idol Season 5, Variety, Idol

* * *

r/hqdoru

[+798 -21] Posted by u/idorupdeusa - 3 days ago

[DISCUSSION] #HQDOL5 EP.01 OPEN TALK

This is a discussion thread for EPISODE 1. Feel free to talk about the episode, share updates from fan accounts + spoilers for the upcoming episodes (sourced, otherwise it will be taken down). Please take spoilers with a grain of salt because in our experience, they are often wrong. No fighting.

TAGS: hqdoru5, spoilers

Comments

Sort by: Points

onepunchwoman [567 points - 3 days ago]

The trainees are quite aggressive this year around. It’s a little scary alas what is youth but hot-blooded passion? I think i’m growing too old for this. But it makes for great ratings because behold, the highest premier rating in HQdoru history! Hopefully it will only go up from here! The talent we’ve seen is pretty crazy so far! Looking forward to the start of the spiral of insanity that is the group battle~

Reply

peach [+552 - 3 days ago]

The talent this season is wild!!! According to my memory, there have never been this many A-grades in the first episode!!! Personally, I think Snowl’s performance was the best. Bokuto is a real ‘force of nature’ as everyone on the show said (multiple times) and he’s! So! Likable! I totally agree with Madoka when she said that he’s basically the closest to an ideal idol :D

Reply

>psychochoco [+332 - 2 days ago]

And the thing about bokuto that ukai pointed out that i 1000% agree with it that he’s not just an amazing performer technically but also he’s a great crowd pleaser. His personality shines through so well when he’s onstage \^0^/

Reply

inkiGAYo [+496 - 3 days ago]

What a way to start a season!!! I like how they didn’t hype one company up so much that it became annoying, they gave most of the trainees equal time to shine while also somehow managing to pull focus on the big players. Hopefully that will continue in the next episode. It’s all big players there, after all >.< personally these were my favourite moments:

  * the crows’ entrance when they were playing janken to decide who sits where
  * GOSHIKI CHALLENGING HIS SENPAIS HOLD MEEEEE
  * bokuto’s entrance when he want around high-fiving everyone
  * lucky cats’ greeting before they performed had me ROLLING
  * trainer ukai’s pep talk i almost teared up T_T



Reply

>onepunchwoman [+216 - 14 hours ago]

Mine were: kuroo’s freestyle, tanaka’s freestyle, AKAASHI’S FREESTYLE HE’S CRAZY AAaaaAaA!!!

Reply

>redriot [+134 - 9 hours ago]

that moment goshiki went ahead of his senpais… bruv that was a BOSS moment right there

Reply

>inkiGAYo [+22 - 45 minutes ago]

what made it better was them supporting him like proud brothers T__T

Reply

dreamcatcher [+430 - 2 days ago]

does anyone have any pics of kageyama, oikawa and iwaizumi when they were in junior adlers together? and anyone have any clue what the ‘personal reason’ was that kageyama left?

Reply

>likeahoshi [+144 - 1 day ago]

x, x, x and i think you can find more if you dig deep enough on r/adlersidols they have a rookies tag under there but i’m sure they’ll surface soon enough if you dont wanna go thru the hassle

Reply

>onepunchwoman

I used to be an adler fan a long time ago and i’m not sure if it this is what kageyama was talking about but i heard that there was a falling out among the rookies and some behind-the-scenes drama but i havent got a source unfortunately, so i could be wrong but that’s the only ‘scandal’ i can remember from that time period.

Reply

>dreamcatcher [+67 - 5 hours ago]

That’s what i’ve been reading as well but yeah, it isn’t concrete. Well, we may never know. Was just curious cuz he seemed obviously reluctant to talk about it. I’m glad ukai or the production team didn’t push him for any answers!

Reply

allmightymight [+411 - 3 days ago]

the episode was entertaining enough and didn’t feel draggy despite being as long as it was. all the trainees are really unique this season and it wasnt a problem remembering them at all! But i think the grading was a little iffy like, Hinata getting an F??? He poured his heart out there. I’d even go as far to say his stage presence is on par with bokuto. And kageyama getting a B just boggles my mind. He shouldve gotten that A. But that’s just me, i guess “-_-

Reply

>onepunchwoman [+101 - 1 day ago]

I do agree that hqdol’s grading is a bit iffy, but it happens every season. At least this season the trainers explained why for almost every trainee! I agree hinata getting an F was quite surprising but when I watch the uncut version without the reactions and with raw sound, he was actually quite messy. I totally understand ukai’s points about his dancing. I think in the end, it was sound advice and the best choice. I also expected kageyama to get an A but again, i rewatched the uncut performance just to watch him and again, ukai’s and the other trainers’ advice made sense. But i think it was also because their expectations were already way too high of him.

Reply

>versachiko [+55 - 4 hours ago]

I have a gut feeling they’ll both do well on the reevaluations though!

Reply

radishface [+395 - 21 hours ago]

okay but is no one going to talk about how everyone’s gonna have to race a whole national athlete that is ushijima wakatoshi for the cover song? T0T i feel bad for them

Reply

>peach [+55 - 3 hours ago]

I can already see it ending in like 3 secs haha

Reply

mashimashi [+350 - 3 days ago]

let the oshimen wars begin


	3. EP.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Watch High Quality Idol!! 5 Episode 2 Online at kissidol.tv SUBS brought to you by HiQyu!!Subs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !check out the 𝅘𝅥𝅮 symbol for links to the videos the performance is based off!  
> get ready, it's the start of a rough ride.

**_EPISODE 2_ **

His mind’s still reeling. 

From their performance to watching the Snowls perform and realising just how far behind everyone else he is-

“Oi,” Kageyama’s flat tone is what knocks him out of his thoughts. The other is holding out a bottle of water while staring at him, eyebrows slightly knitted. “Don’t think too much. Your brain doesn’t have enough capacity for that,” he says. Hinata scowls, grabbing the water from him and furiously twists the cap open.

“I’m not!” 

“You are-”

“Shut up,” Tanaka sighs beside him, listlessly watching the current performance. Some kids from Kyushu. They get a chewing out from Madoka and end up with 2 D-grades and 3 Fs. He’s too distracted to feel bad for them.

So he turns to Kageyama. “The King and Knight are up next, right?” He asks enthusiastically. The dark-haired boy clicks his tongue.

“Could you not call them that here? They don’t use those titles anymore-” Kageyama begins but Hinata, ever the annoying busybody just blinks those huge gleaming eyes at him. “Why not?”

Kageyama glares him down. “Because they don’t.” Hinata considers his response for a moment, and it looks like he’s about to let it go. Instead-

“I’ll call them whatever I want to. It has nothing to do with you.” Kageyama snaps at him, gritting his teeth.

“It has everything to do with-” he begins, in a low, angry whisper. 

“It’s him,” Nishinoya’s voice cuts through their conversation. It’s then that they realise how tense it’s gotten. 

Down on the main stage, stands two guys; one with side-swept blonde hair and a sly smile and the other with dark skin and an impressive, solid build.

“Miya-kun, you’re already active as an idol. What made you join?” Madoka’s stern voice rings throughout the studio. While the rest of the room murmurs with uncertainty, Miya Atsumu meets the trainers’ eyes with a cool gaze and small smile.

“Well, I saw the chance and I took it,” he says simply and it’s a strange reply, mixed with his borderline cocky tone. But there’s nothing to refute such a statement so they just get on with the performance.

A heavy bass, pulsing synths and an electronic bassline transition into a full-out EDM number.

([𝅘𝅥𝅮](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rffYRzO-85c) \- Rat-tat-tat - Sandaime J Soul Brothers)

It’s a solid performance overall. The blondie’s vocals go well with the song, so does his partner’s deeper, rougher tone for the rap. It’s a party song, and the mood begins to lift a little. But, to Hinata’s surprise none of the people around him are particularly moved. It isn’t like the Snowls’ performance, that had people leaning out of their seats. It’s… missing something.

Ukai is the first to speak. “Miya Atsumu. You’ve got experience, and it shows in the way you conduct yourself on stage. Unfortunately, you did nothing to showcase your talents in this performance,” he explains evenly. 

Hinata stares at the LED screen, mouth agape as Miya Atsumu’s expression visibly goes flat, and Hinata knows that face; it’s the one Tsukishima from the advanced Korean language class uses when he sees a nasty bug or, more frequently, _him_. 

“Ojiro Aran, you’re a hip-hop dancer, right? Could you show us a little?” Ukai prompts. Aran doesn’t hesitate, and nods determinedly. The music comes on and he begins with some footwork followed by what Hinata recognizes and popping.

The mood picks up then, and even Kageyama perks up, watching intently. There is applause when he finishes. It’s Tanaka Saeko who picks the mic up this time. Her expression is, for the first time today, solemn and somewhat disappointed. 

“Ryu, your sister is scary,” Nishinoya says, voice low. Tanaka gulps. “This doesn’t look too good.”

“Miya-kun, fix your attitude. That is all.”

The room goes stale then. Hinata feels a chill up his spine. Yachi Madoka clears her throat.

“A, no one. B, Ojiro Aran. C, Miya Atsumu,” she announces with a tone of finality. There is nothing left to say and the two of them exit the stage, leaving behind a sour aftertaste in everyone’s mouths.

“Ah, what a mess,” Oikawa sing-songs, stretching an arm. Iwaizumi keeps a close eye on the monitor. “Shut up, they’re coming.”

Miya Atsumu is furious. There’s this heat that radiates off him as they pass the Blue Castle duo by. Oikawa glances at the two of them at the other side of the holding room, getting their grade stickers. Atsumu looks like he might lose it until Aran leans in close, hands gripping tightly around his shoulders, and whispers something. Nothing that Oikawa cares to listen to. And that seems to be the end of it as they leave the room, going for the tunnels heading towards the restrooms.

The next group walks on, and Oikawa pities them, he really does, because the energy’s completely vanished and on top of it having been a very long day, the trainers are definitely not in the best of moods. He watches with little admiration as the group wraps their performance up neatly.

Two Cs and one D. “Could’ve been worse,” Oikawa murmurs, just loud enough so only Iwaizumi can hear. His raven-haired teammate, scoffs.

“You’re insufferable,” he mutters, but Oikawa knows he means no harm this time, what with the way their shoulders are pressed up against each other as they squeeze each other’s hands for comfort.

“It’s a good day to be us, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa says, plastering on a smile. Iwaizumi chuckles and takes the first step.

“It is.”

Staccato, mid-tempo synths building into a contemporary melody; a dance ballad.

([𝅘𝅥𝅮](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlYrLhFTRn8) One in a Million - Generations from EXILE Tribe)

He feels good. Iwaizumi, he knows, feels good. Their voices sound better here in the studio, he thinks triumphantly, as they arrive at the chorus. The bass is pulsing underneath them, supercharging their bodies.

The music comes to an end and Oikawa knows, knows they’ve managed to turn it around, because his smile melts into a genuine one and Iwaizumi’s back is warm against his.

“That was very good,” he hears Madoka say, and her face is relaxed now. Saeko and Ukai seem satisfied as well. When they nod to each other, the two brace themselves, shoulder-to-shoulder, as they always have.

“A, Oikawa Tooru.” The applause feels good but he doesn’t entertain the feeling any longer because- “B, Iwaizumi Hajime.” 

“Your experience definitely showed here. It was an almost flawless performance. Good luck from here on,” Madoka says earnestly, a warm smile on her lips, like a proud mother. But Oikawa’s heart sinks a little, as they bow low, smiling, the both of them, and leave the stage waving.

“I should’ve done better,” Iwaizumi says lowly as they’re walking back to their seats. Oikawa shakes his head. “You’ll do fine,” he says and hopes it sounds reassuring-

“I wasn’t saying that for you to comfort me, asshole,” Iwaizumi says with a wry laugh. Oikawa allows a bitter smile.

“I know.” _It was for me, Iwa-chan, you dense idiot._

“Don’t let it get to your head,” Aran says. Atsumu ignores him, focusing his glare down below where an odd duo has just stepped on stage.

They’ve got a height gap of a full person between them. The short one’s got fluffy platinum blonde hair and eyes so huge and pronounced Atsumu is sure he can see his pupils even from three rows up. The goliath beside him’s got a pretty stylish quiff going on though Atsumu’s not sure how their company managed to find him baggy enough clothes. 

There’s also some sort of unshakable aura surrounding them. Especially the small guy, who scans the crowd as he walks in, not a trace of nerves or uncertainty. Atsumu clicks his tongue, feeling his blood boil. There’s something that bothers him about the shortie, but he can’t put a finger on it…

“Hello, we are Ocean Eyes Entertainment!” Beside him, Aran claps, leaning forward, elbows on his thighs, like he’s at a baseball game or something. Atsumu rolls his eyes.

The opening riffs of an electric guitar, a hard rock sound, a hard-hitting bass resounds throughout the space.

([𝅘𝅥𝅮](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGasLVrH4bQ) Call Call Call - Seventeen)

The tall one opens the song with an aggressive, growl-y rap. Even as they execute highly physical moves, their expressions are natural. Then, the small one jumps in with soaring vocals. His presence has suddenly increased tenfold, encapsulating the whole studio. And he’s impossibly stable. They’re in sync, their movements matching up almost perfectly.

It’s only when they’re done that Atsumu realises he’s been tapping his foot along with the music. Aran seems to be enjoying himself, at least. He’s saying something, Atsumu is sure, but it’s all noise at this point.

“Hoshiumi-kun, could you sing something else?” Saeko inquires. Shortie nods instantly, confidently, it makes Atsumu’s stomach roll. _It’s that,_ he thinks, _that confidence and delivering on it._

The music starts, and it’s some sort of ballad Atsumu isn’t familiar with. Sounds old-timey. But Aran’s mouthing the words, like he’s performing it himself. 

“Hoshiumi Korai, A,” Saeko announces after, obviously delighted. The studio breaks into applause, with everyone around him buzzing about how _oh-so_ well deserved it was.

“Hakuba Gao, C. Work on your breathing and don’t shortcut your movements from now, alright?”

Atsumu ignores the heaviness pressing against his stomach.

“Just two more, right?” Bokuto muses, sucking the air out of his juice box. Akaashi nods, eyes never leaving the stage, his knee jerking up and down.

“You sure seem excited,” his labelmate says with a laugh. Akaashi nods without reservation. 

“After all, it is them.”

“The Swans. I hate them,” Oikawa mutters a little too loudly, and Kuroo turns to him with a smirk. “If they can get that kind of reaction out of you, Oikawa-sama, then I guess they’re worth paying special attention to,” he says playfully. The brunette glares down at him.

“Next, White Swan Entertainment…” Ukai’s voice fills the room. The group walks in and everyone draws a breath. Kuroo whistles.

“They’re something, alright.”

They greet the audience as one, almost like robots, perfectly in sync. Their expressions are serious and calm bar the red-head, who stands with a slight hunch and a smirk, looking out at the crowd before him.

“Ushijima-kun, you were an athlete? Why the change of heart?” Yachi Madoka asks, meeting their cool gazes.

“I had an injury,” Ushijima says, matter of factly. They wait for him to continue, but he just stands there silent. Madoka relents a small smile. “Is that all?”

“Dancing was a part of my physical therapy. I was then scouted and accepted,” he explains flatly. For some strange reason, the room had been hanging on to his every word and as he finished, let out a collective ‘oh’.

Oikawa pinches the bridge of his nose. “Could he get any more dense?” Kuroo stifles a laugh.

“I think it’s adorable,” he says, pitching his voice up. Oikawa scowls, turning his nose up.

“Shut up, you’re gonna make me hurl.”

“We wish you luck on your new path.”

They bow mechanically and get into their places, like a well-oiled machine, working like clockwork.

A heavy electronic synth pulses through the air.

([𝅘𝅥𝅮](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArptaI8iITE) Android - TVXQ)

Kuroo almost laughs at the irony of it all. But he doesn’t because they’re good.

The two-toned blonde opens the song. He’s got a nice voice, and it’s powerful but there’s something unrefined about it. Akaashi watches them, completely focused. The bowlcut kid’s movements are extremely sharp and his voice is stable. Ushijima’s voice is a deep baritone but he has a surprising range and his dancing is precise, fitting true to the song.

“Oh, he messed up,” Bokuto states nonchalantly. The red-head misses a line, misses a step and rushes through most of the choreography. He seems to be handling it pretty well, his expression betraying nothing like panic whatsoever but it’s like-

“He doesn’t really care, does he?” Akaashi says, voice low. Bokuto watches on gravely, nodding.

Their performance ends with applause because somehow, the other three make up for it on their own. 

“A, Ushijima Wakatoshi and… Goshiki Tsutomu.” There’s a pause for applause. Kuroo claps as well, partly to piss Oikawa off and partly because they obviously hard-carried most of the performance.

“B, none. C… Semi Eita. You need to work on your vocal stability and dancing. D, none. F… Tendou Satori.” Madoka Yachi ends solemnly. She looks up, particularly at the red head.

“Tendou-kun, to put simply. You don’t seem to have any drive. Do you even want to be here?”

The studio is completely silent. Even the staff seem taken aback by the quiet anger boiling in their representative. Tendou, however, doesn’t seem to care.

“Yes, ma’am,” he simply says. And no one can say anything back. But it’s obvious that he’s lying to everyone in the room.

Akaashi steals a glance at Bokuto, who watches on, arms crossed relaxedly across his chest, expression flat. 

  
  


“Sakusa Kiyoomi, Teradomari Motoki and Terushima Yuuji, you’re all unaffiliated…” Saeko trails off, studying their resume. Then, her head snaps up and she grins at them.

“Let’s see what you’ve got!”

A vaguely latin beat comes on and the air in the room shifts.

([𝅘𝅥𝅮](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a02n87pnY_U) Swalla - Jason Derulo ft. Nicki Minaj, Ty Dolla Sign)

Kuroo laughs aloud as soon as they start. Yamamoto and Lev exchange alarmed looks, _it’s nothing to worry about, right?_ He’s grinning like a madman. _Maybe a little something to worry about._

“They’re monsters, the whole lot of them!” Nishinoya guffaws, his knee bouncing up and down wildly. He looks a little crazed, the way his eyes are wide open and gleaming, a maniacal smile on his face. Hinata feels a strange chill up his spine and breaks into a cold sweat.

“Noya-san is scary when he gets into it,” he squeaks. Beside him, for the first time that day, Kageyama is showing some form of enjoyment by nodding along. His eyes are still calculative and sharp, though. 

“They’re good,” Kageyama says outright. Hinata gulps. If Kageyama compliments someone like that, then they must be monsters, he concludes.

“They’re the best so far,” Semi says with a sort of finality that’s hard to argue with. Ushijima watches as if he’s trying to absorb everything. Tendou smiles lazily, and for once, doesn’t say anything.

They get the loudest applause out of all the performances.

“Your positions are all rap… should we try a cypher?” Saeko chirps. The room buzzes with excitement as the beat comes on.

Terushima’s flow is old school, a 90s-esque style in the way his words string together like a melody. Teradomari’s outright aggressive but his diction is impressive, as is his breathing. Finally, Sakusa’s is rhythmic, his voice almost lazy but his gait and body language is dominating.

The beat comes to an end and the crowd erupts in cheers. Even Saeko is standing, applauding them.

“A, Sakusa Kiyoomi. You have amazing balance and flexibility. Your rap of course, is exemplary and you can take on vocals if you have to. Another all-rounder. Good job. But don’t get complacent,” Ukai acknowledges him with a firm nod. 

“Next, B, Terushima Yuuji and Teradomari Motoki. Both of you have outstanding rapping skills, but your dancing needs some work. So, I hope this will be motivation to both of you.”

“And… that’s all the performances for the day. I’ll leave the rest to Yachi-san.”

They are given an hour to get their grade sweatshirts and to rest. Of course, the first thing Hinata does is run to the toilets.

He’d been holding out since this morning, and it’s mid-noon now. The hallway seems too long suddenly, but he’s running as hard as he can and he might not make it--

He lets out a sigh of relief as he pulls his zipper up and heads to wash his hands. Humming a merry tune, he checks his hair, finger-guns his reflection with a big smile and walks out feeling ready to take the world on-

“The next time we meet, I’m going to crush you-” Oikawa sneers. Ushijima stares at him expressionlessly.

“We’ll be seeing each other every day. You’ll have many chances,” he deadpans. Iwaizumi bristles, letting out an exasperated sigh, turning to the ceiling for help from above.

“And that’s exactly- Ah.” The three of them turn to find Hinata staring up at them, having just exited the restroom. He looks like he’s-

“You okay there? You’re shaking,” Iwaizumi asks, vaguely concerned. Hinata lets out a surprised yelp, bowing as he makes his way through.

“Yes- no, sir! I was just- Kageyama!” He squeaks, feeling relief wash over him as he spots his teammate down the hallway. The black-haired boy turns to them from a distance and nods politely before heading in the opposite direction.

Hinata’s heart drops to his feet and he sputters what he hopes is a polite enough goodbye and jogs away, chasing his friend down.

“I can’t believe you just left me there,” Hinata moans, dragging his feet behind him, feeling like he’d just shaved ten years off his life. Kageyama pays him no mind.

“Why are you following me?” He asks, tone flat as usual. Hinata blinks. “Because I can’t find Noya-san and Tanaka-san and I don’t wanna be linin’ up for food alone…”

Kageyama sighs. “No, I mean-” Hinata follows his gaze as they near a crowded room. Printed on the door are the letters A and B. He wilts.

“We’ll meet at the canteen, then!” He calls out to Kageyama’s receding back. The other barely acknowledges him and disappears into the room. Hinata is left to fend for himself for the time being. Bracing himself, he walks towards another room up ahead.

He stares up at the printed sign, C, D, F SHIRTS and below it, PLEASE LINE UP ACCORDING TO YOUR SIZE. Inside, the crowd’s thinned out a little as everyone has dispersed for lunch. Hinata gulps and enters-

And nearly runs into someone but just in the nick of time, a pair of hands hold him by his shoulders. Smiling down at him is the really tall mixed-looking guy from Lucky Cat.

“Oh, shrimpy!” He greets cheerfully. Hinata chuckles uncomfortably.

“My name’s Hinata,” he mumbles sheepishly. Lev grins. “I’m Haiba Lev. Nice to meet you! Size XS is that way!” And he walks away before Hinata can say anything more.

“I’m an S,” he belatedly mutters to himself. And he’s too lost in thought, too slow to look up until-

“Look where you’re going, scrub,” comes a hiss as he collides into a firm shoulder. He lets out a yelp as he jumps back, bowing in apology. Miya Atsumu doesn’t spare him another glance and storms off.

_Another ten off my life,_ he thinks sorrowfully.

“Yo, kuroNeko and… ah, Oikawa-sama! I see you’re all buddy-buddy, Leaving me out, huh?! Well, that’s alright! I’ll just squeeze in anyway,” Bokuto hollers, joining the other A-class trainees as they wait for Madoka to announce the first task.

Kuroo can barely hold himself together as Bokuto bounds over like a particularly large, energetic species of dog and throws an arm around Oikawa’s shoulders. He finally bursts as Oikawa pleadingly stares at him for help, any kind of help, please help. 

He throws his head back, cackling and walks off, leaving the two of them to their catching-up and heads towards the lone Swan stood at the edge of their group, fumbling with his sweater.

“Hey, big guy. Ushijima, right?” Kuroo greets with a lopsided smile. Ushijima nods at him, completely straight-faced. 

“Kuroo Tetsurou,” and it’s like he’s reading out a royal decree or something. Kuroo laughs lightly. “That’s me. What’s up with uh, your sweater?”

“It’s uncomfortable. I got the wrong size,” he says, voice like hardwood furniture but the way he says it makes him sound like a lost kid. Kuroo notices, then, the awkward stretch of the sleeves around his shoulders and how it rides up when he makes even the slightest movements.

“I’m sure they’ll figure something out for you. I mean, they managed for Hakuba-kun,” he assures, pointing his chin at the two-meter giant baby, engaged in animated conversation with Lev, the two of them figuring out some sort of secret handshake. 

“Yes.” The conversation seems to end there, but before Kuroo can lament their dead chemistry, Madoka Yachi is striding onto the main stage.

“Now that you’ve all eaten and taken a short rest, it’s time to get down to business. The first task will be, of course, the theme song. The title for this year’s theme song is ‘Fly’.”

Up on the giant LED screen, the demo begins to play and there’s a wave of excitement among the trainees. Kageyama watches on quietly, absorbing as much as he can. It’s definitely a lot more physical than the previous years’ choreography. But it isn’t like the moves are particularly difficult it’s just-

“Ah, the tempo,” Tanaka says beside him. “I’m already tired from just watching,” he groans and sinks to a squat on the floor.

It’s a good song, sure to be a hit, with a hard-hitting chorus, driving bass and synth-y melodic line but-

“The key!” Tanaka cries out in anguish, head in his hands. Kageyama silently agrees. It’s higher than what they’ve been practicing so far.

“I don’t think Noya-san and Hinata will have a problem with it, though,” he says. Tanaka sniffs. 

“You’re probably right, but what about us?!” And he descends into despair once more.

“We can do it.”

Tanaka’s head snaps up at him, all teary-eyed and he jumps on the younger, smothering him in a bear hug.

“My kouhai is so dependable. I’ll have to be strong for the both of us from now on!” He cries out in a passion. Kageyama lets him go on with his eccentricities for the rest of the song.

As Madoka explains the importance of this mission, about how their grades determine their screen time, Kageyama scans through the crowd, eyes going to the back, searching for a shock of orange-

And he finds Hinata sightseeing on the back of Tendou Satori of the Swans, with a dazzle in his eyes. No doubt, he’s being moved by the motivational pep talk. Kageyama scoffs, _simpleton_.

Turning his gaze back to their national representative, he steels his resolve. 

“In three days, there will be a re-evaluation. Anyone could fall, anyone could rise. It is up to you and your effort. For now, you’ll be given time to familiarize yourselves with the song and choreography. Good luck. That is all.”

_We’ll be fine,_ Kageyama thinks, _knows_.

_What a pain,_ he thinks to himself. _It smells like sweat. It’s disgusting._ But he doesn’t have his mask on him because they’re on broadcast and if he’s going to win this then he’s going to have to follow Komori’s advice-

“Alright, let’s see F first!” Ukai calls out from the stage. They give way to the gray-sweatered trainees. Sakusa heads to the farthest end of the A class line and deliberates with himself on whether or not he should sit on the floor, but like a wave, everyone else does so he has no choice.

The music comes on. He watches the mess unfold before him in vague distaste. The only one keeping time with the music, albeit with a few shortcuts, is the slimy-looking red-head Swan.

“Senpai…” He hears a faint whisper beside him. Out of the corner of his eye he finds the youngest of the bunch watching with a pained look in his eyes. It’s none of his business, so he looks away.

The bold orange-haired kid is trying his best but he’s too fast and hasn’t memorized even half the steps so he’s just fumbling about. Granted, they did have only half an hour for a step-by-step tutorial this time. But those who can’t catch up are bound to fall off the edge. It’s unavoidable.

“Next, A class!”

Hinata sits with a heavy sigh, absolutely pummeled. _That was-_

“You were terrible,” comes a familiar deadpan tone. He turns to Kageyama with a glare. “I didn’t need you to tell me that.”

His teammate ignores him. “Watch them.”

He does, not because Kageyama told him to, absolutely not, but because who wouldn’t?

The opening beats play. Sakusa, the closest to their side is the image of cool. Bokuto, leading in the middle is powerful and expressive, giving his all even in a short practice like this. Beside him, the Swan with the bowl cut is just as energetic, each of his moves as sharp as the older trainees. And Nishinoya on the other side makes everything look easy with that grin.

It is then that Hinata sees it. The huge chasm that has opened up between them and himself. He steals a glance at Kageyama, watching beside him, knows he’s analyzing every single movement of everyone he can see, and pictures him already pulling ahead, laying his own foundation for a bridge across.

Hinata takes a deep breath and feels and hears nothing but his heart beating. He doesn’t even notice the end of the performance until Ukai’s voice is resounding through the speakers. 

Kageyama nudges him in the shoulder, a wicked grin on his face.

“I’ll be going on ahead.”

Hinata feels his blood raging.

By the time they get to the dorms, he doesn’t even have enough energy to fully appreciate how nice and comfortable it is. He just needs to find his bed. Now.

When he finally finds his room, he finds that he isn’t the first one in. With a sinking feeling, he remembers then that they’re being placed into rooms at random so he says a brief prayer to whatever god up there and enters with a smile.

Ojiro Aran greets him casually with a wave and a cool ‘yo’. Semi’s body wilts with relief as he replies with a small ‘hi’. 

“Do you have any idea who the other two are?” He asks as they both unpack, trying to make conversation. Aran hums.

“If I’m not mistaken-” he begins but is interrupted by the door suddenly swinging open and their third roommate barrelling in, shouting ‘TOP BUNK!’ at the top of his lungs.

Iwaizumi of Blue Castle follows passively behind him with a little salute as greeting.

“I’m Nishinoya but you can call me Yu! It’s good to meet ya!” He announces triumphantly. They engage in light chatter, where they’re from, how they got into their companies and-

“Speaking of Oikawa-san, which room is he in?” Aran asks. And it's an innocent enough question but the air shifts a little as Iwaizumi chuckles bitterly. He turns to Semi with a weird smile.

“Take a guess.”

Realisation settles in. Semi’s eyes widen and he bursts into laughter, throwing his head back, much to the bewilderment of their two other completely clueless roommates.

Down five rooms, at the other end of the hallway, it is complete, pin-drop silence as Oikawa Tooru, Kageyama Tobio and Ushijima Wakatoshi sit at their respective bunks, unpacking without saying a word. 

The one to disrupt the brittle calm is Tanaka, stepping out of the bathroom.

“Get in while it’s still nice and hot-” he begins and doesn’t have a chance to finish his sentence before Oikawa is zipping across the room. In one swift motion, he pulls the door close with a loud bang and immediately, the muted sound of water splashing replaces the previous quiet.

_It’s going to be a long three days_ , Tanaka thinks to himself with a sigh as he pulls his pyjamas on.

In the opposite room, there is a loud ruckus as Hinata sinks to the floor, wailing in anguish.

“Sorry, Shoyo. Paper beats rock every time,” Koganegawa says with a cheeky grin, already halfway into the bathroom. Bokuto guffaws from his cozy corner in the bottom bunk. Teradomari’s already asleep on the opposite bottom bunk, somehow managing not to flinch one bit at the youngers’ noise.

By the time Hinata gets the bath, Koganegawa is already settling in for bed, Bokuto is snoring and Teradomari is long gone.

With a sigh, he relaxes in the warm water and wonders and wonders how tomorrow will go.

* * *

His throat feels like it’s on fire. It sure hurts, but not as bad as his thighs do because he is sure, at this point, he’s going to lose a leg.

“You okay there bowlcut?” Comes Kuroo’s voice from somewhere above. Goshiki opens his eyes to find the elder towering over him, holding out a new bottle of water.

“You’ll get a stomach ache if you dance on a stomach full of water,” he says with a small smile. The young Swan takes it with a small, soft ‘thanks’ and takes a small sip that soon turns into big gulps.

“Tsutomu, wanna try the second verse together?” Comes Nishinoya’s ever-lively tone. _Is break over already…?_ He checks the clock on the wall. It’s only been five minutes.

“Tsutomu~ get up!” And he feels Nishinoya’s hand wrap around his, pulling him up. “To be the best, you gotta train with the best, right?!” That seems to do the trick.

Goshiki straightens immediately, a new, determined fire coursing through his veins. Nishinoya grins. “And one, two!”

“Is he always like that?” Akaashi asks, wiping his sweat off with a towel, leaning against the wall. Ushijima nods. “He’s determined.”

“Yeah, to put it mildly. Well, there’s another one.”

Bokuto bursts into the room like a hurricane, back from the restroom. He joins the other two as soon as he sees them with a bright smile. 

“Just watching them makes me feel tired,” Kuroo says, getting up with a groan. “But it gets me pumped as heck!” And he joins them as they hit the second chorus. 

Akaashi lets out his nth sigh of the day and decides to rise as well. As expected, Ushijima joins him less than a second later and soon, the whole of A class is up, singing their lungs out once more.

“How’s Oikawa doin’?” Iwaizumi asks as they finish their fifth full practice. Kageyama turns to him, mildly surprised. 

“He doesn’t say much,” he answers plainly. Iwaizumi nods. 

“He didn’t start a fight or anything stupid, did he?”

“Not yet.” 

The elder laughs. “You haven’t changed much.” Kageyama doesn’t respond.

“Hey, you, kid! Could you show us that- what’s the slow part- the prechorus!” Calls out a voice, drawing nearer. Terushima approaches them with a grin and grabs onto Kageyama, pulling him towards a small group at the other end of the room.

Iwaizumi watches as he calmly explains to them the moves. Soon, he’s guiding about half of B class on his own. He seems to be doing a good job because Terushima gets a handle on it pretty fast and so do most of the other trainees.

Suddenly, there’s a sniffle beside him. Tanaka draws in a dramatic breath, clenching his chest with one hand.

“They grow up so fast,” he says. Iwaizumi laughs airily.

_Sorry, Tobio. Maybe you did change a little._

“Miya-san, could you help us with-” Lev starts but is cut off by the elder’s heavy sigh.

“Hah? I’m not helping any of ya scrubs-”

“He’s okay with it. Right?” Atsumu turns to find Semi Eita, the two-toned pretty bastard smiling at him. Lev’s eyes light up, like an innocent puppy, knowing nothing of the big, bad world outside. Shrugging Semi off with a click of his tongue, Atsumu turns to the kid with a glare.

“Whatever, but it ain’t my problem if ya can’t keep up. I’m not slowing down, ya hear?!” 

Semi watches on as Miya Atsumu is flocked by a crowd of other C trainees, like ducklings to a mother. He can tell that the guy likes the attention even if he looks like he hates it. 

Shaking his head with a lopsided smile, Semi decides to join the group, silently slotting himself beside the blonde, ignoring the death glare he gets and focuses on his own reflection in the mirror.

“Your balance is off.”

Hinata stops mid-move, turning to Tendou, puzzled. “Huh?”

“You gotta put your weight on your left, not your right. Because see, you’re turnin’ right in the next move but…”

Hinata nods, trying his hardest to remember all the advice. When he tries it again, he finds it easier to move, to transition into the next step. He rounds on Tendou, eyes wide, smile bright.

“I didn’t know you were such a nice guy, Tendou-san!” He says. The red-head laughs, though it’s more like a cackle, throwing his head back.

“And I didn’t know you were this bad at dancin’!” 

With that, Hinata turns away, grumbling, and resumes his practice. Yachi Madoka enters an hour later, and they line up, standing upright like military recruits and their warden.

She has them go through the scale, turning up the key during each run. Hinata passes with flying colours and he blushes as Madoka smiles at him, nodding in satisfaction.

Tendou, however, doesn’t receive the same warmth. 

“Frankly, you don’t sound like you’re trying, Tendou-kun,” she says, disappointed. Tendou merely stares straight ahead without replying.

“Tendou-san, at yesterday’s evaluation…” Hinata starts later, during a break. Tendou turns to him with a non committed hum, raising an eyebrow.

“Why did you lie? About wanting to be here?” He blurts out, because there’s no other way to put it. He expects Tendou to get angry at such a brash question but instead, he turns his chin up, knitting his eyebrows, as if thinking real hard. Then, he breaks into that infamous sly grin.

“Because it doesn’t look good on TV!” He says. Hinata stares at him, dumbfounded. 

“That’s it?”

“Yep!” Then, when he sees Hinata’s eyes dim, he gets up, ruffling his hair. “Don’t think so much. It’s nothing to worry about.”

* * *

“Good job, kid,” Tanaka says, giving him a noogie as he sits back down. Kageyama smiles as the others compliment him, thanking them softly. 

He feels good. Standing there, just him and the camera and the music blasting, its hum feeding him through the soles of his shoes. It feels good. 

“You okay?” He hears Bokuto’s voice, hears his footsteps chasing him out the door until it dies down and he pushes the toilet doors open with such force, there’s a woosh of wind. He runs the water in the sink and watches as it flows down the drainage pipe in a swirl. 

Oikawa stays hunched over like that, just watching the water cascade, for a few long moments before his vision blurs and he lets his tears fall together with the tap water, down the drain.

His dancing is better than he’d expected. He never really paid too much attention but then again, he guesses Semi never really had the chance to fully show it during their classes together. 

But now, as Atsumu watches him, he understands why he was scouted. On top of looks, he’s got the skill and temperament. It leaves a bitter taste in Atsumu’s mouth. He doesn’t have time to ponder on it because Semi’s done and he’s smirking down at him.

“I was definitely better,” the Swan says offhandedly. 

“Better, my ass. I’m goin’ center stage! An’ I’ll be laughin’ at ya from up there,” he fires back.

_Left, right foot balance, right, and twist and wave. Jump, jump, and twist. Arms, legs, bam!_

He’s breathing so hard he almost doesn’t hear the rest of the F trainees cheering for him. Hinata turns to them with a smile, running to them, arms open. 

Tendou rises from his corner and passes him by. As soon as the music starts, Hinata has a sinking feeling. The Swan executes each step perfectly, he knows every detail but his voice comes out as simple syllables. His expression is flat. He’s doing the absolute bare minimum.

When the song ends, Hinata watches in horror as he takes his seat calmly.

“You knew everything, but you…” he trails off. Tendou looks at him over his shoulder, raising his eyebrows in mild surprise and throws him a lazy smirk.

“I told you, don’t think too much about it.”

* * *

“B, Semi Eita and Miya Atsumu.”

“Fair and square,” he hears Semi say as they make their way to the B studio. Atsumu laughs dryly but his shoulders relax when he sees Aran waving him over as they enter the room.

“Akaashi Keiji, B.”

He bows deeply, accepting the little report card. Bokuto gives him a squeeze on his shoulder on his way out.

“I’m sorry-”

“I’ll see you at the top of the pyramid,” Bokuto cuts him off. Akaashi steals a glance at him, eyes going wide. Bokuto isn’t looking at him. Instead, he’s smiling and looking straight ahead, as he always has been.

His heart feels a little lighter as he leaves the room.

“Kageyama Tobio, A.”

There are gasps around the room and scattered applause. He steals a glance at Tanaka, who throws him a thumbs up and a reassuring smile.

He passes by Oikawa in the hallway and feels a chill up his spine.

Then, he hears a familiar shuffle and tapping of footsteps as someone rushes down the stairs.

“Ah, Kageyama!” He turns to the voice and they pause, staring at each other down the hallway. Kageyama passes him by with a smirk.

“I win again,” he says.

Hinata grins and continues in the opposite direction, towards where his teammate came from. 

“Oikawa Tooru, C.”

The brunette ups and leaves after a polite bow, without even a semblance of a goodbye to the rest of the A class.

He barely holds it in as he passes Kageyama by, head held high. There is a resounding gasp and the room goes cold as he enters.

With a dazzling smile, he bows at them and takes a seat. 

* * *

**GRAND KING OF MY HEART** @oikawass · 39s

icb they ended the episode just like that

**GRAND KING OF MY HEART** @oikawass · 45s

wtf.

**#1 Visual** @oioshi · 2m

im in physical pain

**HQDOL5 GLOBAL** @global_hqdol5 · 20m

EPISODE 2 RANKINGS:

1\. Akaashi Keiji

2\. Kuroo Tetsuro

3\. Bokuto Kotaro

4\. Kageyama Tobio

5\. Oikawa Tooru

6\. Ushijima Wakatoshi

|

7\. Goshiki Tsutomu

8\. Semi Eita

9\. Nishinoya Yu

10\. Hoshiumi Korai

11\. Miya Atsumu

12\. Iwaizumi Hajime

* * *

**TRENDING** · Worldwide

**1\. #HQDORU5**

560k tweets

**2\. High Quality Cypher**

441k tweets

**3\. Miya Atsumu**

397k tweets

**4\. Oikawa Tooru**

374k tweets

**5\. Sakusa Kiyoomi**

355k tweets

* * *

**HIGH QUALITY IDOL 5 | The Fox goes RAT-TAT-TAT! | Foxy Fellows 宮 侑, 尾白 アラン EP. 2 20120819**

477,654 views · 1 day ago

Comments | 5.5K

tsumtsum~ · 21 hours ago

as a fan, i was very shocked by his attitude because i have seen him perform at his theater and he was a very warm person but here… i don’t want to say too much. I hope he can improve himself

sofuto · 19 hours ago

their performance wasn’t bad at all, but i agree with the trainer’s decision. atsumu’s attitude was inexcusable. even poor aran looked uncomfortable.

peach · 11 hours ago

I think it was smart of the trainers to give atsumu a wake up call this early on. they know he has a lot of potential, it’s just that the way he was acting could have ruined it. hopefully it works.

headphone jack · 22 hours ago

no hate but i think aran’s freestyle was the best

nopunches · 3 hours ago

the other trainees really said :o when saeko roasted atsumu jdfjsdkj

  
  
  


**HIGH QUALITY IDOL 5 | Teacher Tendou to the rescue! EP.2 20120819**

115,632 views · 21 hours ago

Comments | 1.8K

pyon · 3 hours ago

this was my favourite part of the episode >.<

eung eung · 20 hours ago

other than atsumu, tendou was another person i think many of us were wary of. but he showed us his good intentions despite his lackluster attitude.

teri-bad · 16 hours ago

tendou doesnt look like the type to get along with everyone while hinata is exactly the kind of person everyone loves so it was really nice to see their unique friendship.

mammamiya · 2 hours ago

when hinata was worried for tendou during the reevaluation i almost cried T_T

mememe · 21 hours ago

sunshine boy collecting senpais <3

  
  
  


**HIGH QUALITY IDOL 5 [NEXT WEEK] Group battle START! Rise of the New Monster Generation? EP. 3 20120826**

105,945 views · 3 days ago

Comments | 1K

peach · 2 days ago

why did they lie to us like that i came to see a race not to cry my eyes out

1onewon · 2 days ago

they really fooled us into thinking we were gonna get a fun sports day but nooo here i am wallowing in my FEELINGS

oh my god · 3 days ago

im crying so bad and it isnt even the first eLIMINATION yeT T_T

egotisticgal · 23 hours ago

WHO WILL BE IN THE NEW BAKEMONO GEN I WANNA KNOW SO BADDD I CANT WAIT!!!

weewoo · 14 hours ago

idek how a reality show could ruin my life like this

* * *

r/hqdoru

[+825 -10] Posted by u/idorupdeusa - 3 days ago

**[DISCUSSION] #HQDOL5 EP.02 OPEN TALK**

This is a discussion thread for EPISODE 2. Feel free to talk about the episode and share updates from **official sources ONLY** (unofficial spoilers will be taken down and will result in a one-day ban). No fighting.

TAGS: hqdoru5, spoilers

inkiGAYo [+678 - 2 days ago]

what a ROLLERCOASTER of an episode. i’m actually so emotionally drained i had to take a few hours before i visited this thread. there is SO much to unpack here so warning this may be a long ramble… let’s go in chronological order!

  * miya atsumu. Ive been scouring all sns platforms and i think most fans are on the same page: his attitude was shitty but the reevaluation training scene showed that he’s not 100% asshole all the time. His growth is something i genuinely look forward to (the same goes for many, many other people). And anyway, i do believe anyone can change if tanaka saeko roasts you hard enough.
  * aran just won my vote for best freestyle of the season!
  * oikawa is center material no matter what anyone says. blue castle’s evaluation perf. was flawless.
  * i can see very clearly why hoshiumi was voted the center for the theme song
  * my god gao is huge
  * USHIJIMA IS MEME MATERIAL and he’s such a soft boi <3
  * tendou satori. I think he was another one people found trouble with. But his friendship with hinata is what saved him. And he wasn’t being rude in any way, he’s just lacking in motivation. Personally, i dont have a problem with him and quite like him but i also understand the people that dont.
  * THE CYPHER IS THE MOST LEGENDARY MOMENT OF THIS SEASON HANDS DOWN
  * the date three are my new babies but i know they might not last long :(
  * i could make a whole other thread about this but the roommates segment had me roLLING
  * and that ending….. Yeah, i cried… i dont think there’s much to say anymore



And yeah, those were my highlights and thoughts, sorry if it was long!!!

Reply

>peach [+452 - 2 days ago]

I totally agree with you about atsumu and tendou! I think it was really smart of the trainers to take both of them down a notch, just to teach them a lesson. I hope we can see some positive progress from them here on out!

Reply

>freekick [+324 - 1 day ago]

The cypher was even trending worldwide with people calling it the ‘high quality cypher’ xD individual trainees really did THAT!!!

Reply

onepunchwoman [+666 - 3 days ago]

Man, i thought i was gonna get a heart attack while watching that. i know the hot topic tonight is atsumu and i just wanna address that without re-explaining what i think everyone agrees on: that was not a good first impression. However! I do believe he did begin to show some change in this episode itself, which i think a lot of people overlooked bc tendou and hinata were way too precious. Just thought i should point out that atsumu did help class C along with semi and i think they did quite a good job. The trainees seem to get along with him just fine as well. That’s just my two cents on him. For me though, the show stealer was definitely sakusa. He can do everything!!! Literally! And he’s consistent! And he’s got the looks! Boggles my mind that he hasn’t been scouted/ under a company till now :O though he didn’t get as much screentime in this ep, i think he’ll definitely be a major fixture from now on. Next, i just want to gush about how much i love tendou and hinata’s awkward senpai-kouhai friendship. It’s obvious that tendou is a pretty difficult guy to be around but hinata just! Melted him i guess? And the way hinata cares for him and looks up to him oh, my heart </3 finally, the two big twists: akaashi and oikawa. Honestly, i could see it coming (for oikawa, at least) i just thought wow he’s way too perfect. But well, he’s got some issues. He didn’t seem to blend into class A much and you could physically see the pressure that was piling up on him. I think being in c will be more of a positive for him than anything. Now akaashi, that was quite a shock. But he wasn’t on screen much in this episode so no one can say for sure but he’s probably similar to oikawa, with the pressure and all. I hope they pull through it. I don’t want anymore heartbreak. At least not until the eliminations…

Reply

wonderboys [+502 - 1 day ago]

still can’t believe they trolled us into thinking the fun little race was going to be the happy end to this episode…. And here we are going to sleep crying.

Reply

>redriot [+221 - 21 hours ago]

when they just transitioned to the rankings after oikawa entered C class looking all disheveled… I Felt That

Reply

ballboy [+486 - 2 days ago]

ushijima looks like this scary giant who’s going to crush everyone but when you see him interacting with people he’s actually so tender and considerate.. I mean look at how he spoils goshiki rotten like it isn’t obvious but he’s always there, gently helping and he’s also not afraid to ask for help. I know it was kinda in the background but when he woke goshiki up when they were clearing out of the studio for the day and he asked if goshiki wanted to stay for practice or not with that low, soft voice. Man, i melted fr. another soft boy i noticed is kageyama. When he was teaching the b class despite being a rather quiet person, and he gave each of them pointers… this kid has a lot more going for him than he shows. I hope they both get the attention they deserve, not just as visuals and talent but for how kind they are.

Reply

mashimashi [+420 - 15 hours ago]

my prediction for the monster team:

  1. Akaashi (well, because he’s the #1 after all)
  2. Kageyama
  3. Nishinoya
  4. Aran
  5. Oikawa



Reply

>pandorasbox [+162 - 12 hours ago]

ooh interesting mine is:

  1. Atsumu
  2. Ushijima
  3. Kageyama
  4. Bokuto
  5. Akaashi



Reply


	4. EP.3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Watch High Quality Idol!! 5 Episode 3 Online at kissidol.tv SUBS brought to you by HiQyu!!Subs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> check out the list of songs referenced in this episode in the end notes!

**_EPISODE 3_ **

He’s falling from the sky. The wind is whistling in his ears, loud as a kettle. It pierces his skull and he feels that distinct pain in his body, it’s like a surge of burning electricity traveling through his bones, down his neck, his fingertips, and swirling around his right knee. That’s when the dream starts leaking.

_ Me, it’s me, I’m going to fly- _

_ Pick me, I’ll fly so high- _

“Are you kidding me,” he whispers to himself in a low, dry croak. Oikawa stares at the bits of mattress sticking out between the metal wiring above him, wishing it would just tear apart and crush him right then and there. But no such thing happens.

He turns his head to find Ushijima on the opposite lower bunk sitting upright, head hanging as his arms move apparently of their own volition. His hair is all static-y, sticking up in every direction, flopping about helplessly as he dances in his half-conscious state. Oikawa hates himself for it but he smiles.

Above the ex-athlete, Oikawa sees Tanaka’s arms flail about, even as he lies down flat on his back. He almost laughs. Just then, Kageyama appears from the bathroom, toothbrush in right hand, left hand flapping about, completely off beat. His eyes are completely blank, like the robot Oikawa had always thought he was.

“You look ridiculous, Tobio,” he says, slowly sitting up, leaning against his elbow. The younger pauses, turning to him, eyes wide with slight surprise for just a moment. Then, it’s gone and he shrugs, continuing his erratic little dance.

Oikawa finds himself humming along as well.

“Never give up! We’re going to fly tonight! Tonight’s the night, let’s take flight!”

Teradomari groans, pulling his pillow down against his head tightly while the other three jump around, screaming at the top of their lungs. It’s Bokuto who starts by jumping into bed with him, shaking him awake, all while shouting the chorus in his face. Then, Hinata and Koganegawa join like minions, giving him the performance of their lives all while half-naked in pyjama pants.

He caves and jumps out, suddenly energized and executes the dance break like he’s performing at Tokyo Dome. The other three hype him up and they finish the song in perfect chaotic unison. 

“I feel like I’m in a cult,” Iwaizumi says to himself, standing in the hallway, completely trapped from all sides.

To his left is a line of seven or so others including the youngest from Date, the youngest Swan dancing like he’s doing a re-evaluation, and surprisingly, Sakusa though he’s mainly just swaying around, being forced into it by Goshiki, holding him by the wrist.

To his left is the youngest Cat, flailing around with Terushima of the individual trainees. Directly in front of him, dancing right at the opposite doorstep, is the giant from Ocean Eyes, his head barely grazing the top of the door frame.

And behind him, in what was supposed to be a safe zone are Noshinoya and Aran freestyling, completely ignoring the fact that they’re attempting windmills in a tight space during the  _ bridge _ .

He sighs to himself, leaning against the wall, and gives in, tapping his foot to the beat.

* * *

AKAASHI: I think he’s got the best energy.

ATSUMU: He’s the most tolerable guy.

OIKAWA: His skill is respectable.

IWAIZUMI: He’s the most skillful.

TANAKA: Why is this so hard? I can’t choose! 

HINATA: He’s handsome… he’s good at dancing… but so is he...

TANAKA: Argh! They’re all too good!

HINATA: I don’t want to admit it but I think he’s the best choice.

TANAKA: I’m sorry. Good luck!

TENDOU: Of course, my pick…

SEMI: Do your best up there!

ARAN: Personally, he’s helped me a lot.

GOSHIKI: I really look up to him.

KUROO: He’s the best out of all of us, I have to admit.

BOKUTO: This guy, of course!

They gather in the viewing hall after lunch. It is dark except for the projector, lighting up the screen with the logo. They sit according to their classes and wait patiently.

“Ah, Semi-san! Who did you vote for?” Hinata asks in an excited whisper. The elder turns to him with a small smile. 

“I think you already know the answer to that,” he says coolly. Hinata furrows his brows. “Ushijima-san?”

Semi laughs. “No, I can’t imagine Wakatoshi singing this song with a smile like that.” Hinata hums, nodding. “I see, I see… Tsutomu, then?”

Semi smiles, nodding.

Just then, the screen shifts to display the words A CENTER with the subtitle WHO WILL IT BE?

Hinata leans forward in his seat as two pictures come on screen. The trainees gasp and cheer, clapping excitedly.

Goshiki and Hoshiumi bare their teeth in big smiles. The screen shifts once more. The word CENTER fills the space. The crowd holds their breath.

Hoshiumi’s center candidate performance comes on and they burst into cheers again. The other A class trainees reach over, clapping him on the back, ruffling his hair. He is then invited to the front for a few words.

“This is just the first step. We all still have a long way to go. To the top! Together! Thank you for choosing me.” 

He gets a standing ovation. It’s a good, short speech, full of confidence that overflows into the other trainees. Hoshiumi straightens from his deep bow with a determined fire in his eyes, grinning.

Hinata claps harder, feeling a sense of motivation welling up in himself.

* * *

“It’s huge! Look, Sakusa-san!” Goshiki exclaims, eyes gleaming brightly.

“Yeah, I see it.” It is, very. 

It’s shining so brightly. It’s the stage of their dreams. He doesn’t say anything, just watches as it lights up sapphire and silver, pulsing with life, like some ship from outer space. He keeps this feeling to himself and lets Goshiki tug him along excitedly.

“Oikawa-san, it’s unfair,” Tanaka says, staring at him, as if in a trance. It’s a little unnerving. Oikawa raises an eyebrow, prompting him to  _ please explain yourself. _

“You look so good in the uniform!” The Crow cries out dramatically, head in his hands. Oikawa pauses for a moment before laughing breezily. 

“Not so bad yourself. The delinquent look goes with you,” he says and it comes easily to him, surprising even himself. Tanaka’s head snaps up, eyes going liquidy.

“I’m sorry I thought you were some self-absorbed asshole! I was wrong! You’re not always!” He says, attacking him with a bear hug. Oikawa grits his teeth, trying to shrug his roommate off.

“‘Not always’?” He repeats, voice dripping in poison. Not that Tanaka cares, because he doesn’t let go. There’s a voice coming from behind them, clearing its throat.

“He’s not wrong,” says Iwaizumi with a smirk. Oikawa shoots a glare at him before breaking into a sickly sweet smile.

“Would you look at that, the king of delinquents has come to visit us!” He says with mock joy. Iwaizumi narrows his eyes at the pretty boy.

“Maybe I’ll act on that and take you down a notch,” he says threateningly and turns away to join the rest of the B class.

He can’t help the smile that tugs at his lips as Oikawa lets out an overly-dramatic gasp.

“How’s it feel up there?” Bokuto calls out from below, waving wildly at him along with the rest of the trainees. Hoshiumi grins at them from his elevated platform and thrusts out a thumbs up, to which they cheer.

It feels good. He’s standing on top of the world.

“Could we give it a spin?” Kuroo drawls out, though something in his mocking tone tells him that the Cat already knows the answer. Hoshiumi laughs heartily.

“Nope!”

“What’s it this time?” Akaashi’s voice comes from above. Atsumu shoots him a sharp look from his seat on the floor, but when the other doesn’t react, he sighs.

“Iwannabeupthere,” he mumbles, stringing his words together. 

“You gotta speak up, Miya!” Terushima Yuuji says, jumping out of nowhere. Atsumu turns to him with a disgusted look. The other blonde just laughs, not a care in the world.

“I didn’t hear ya the first time!” He reiterates with a knowing grin. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Atsumu stands up to his full height, half a head taller. He’s not going to let some random punk boss him around.

_ “I said wanna be up on frickin’ center stage!” _ He half-yells. It’s not a loud proclamation like what Bokuto’s been doing every other day, but it gets most of the other trainees’ attention anyway because  _ the  _ Miya Atsumu is openly showing some earnest emotion for the first time.

Akaashi’s expression is momentarily shocked before it melts into a smile. Around him, the trainees from all the other classes are egging him on, replying with their own cheers.

“That’s the spirit, Tsum-tsum!” Bokuto hollers, giving more encouragement.

Terushima grins up at him cheekily. Atsumu can’t find it in him to be mad anymore. In fact, it’s a relief.

* * *

“Starting today, the group cover battle begins.”

Kageyama feels his fingers tingle, a good tingle. Around him, the other A class members all seem to be on edge as well. In fact, everyone is more antsy than usual. The tension in the room is suffocating, almost. In a weirdly good way.

“You will be performing songs by veteran groups. And of course, before you can perform, you must first choose your teammates.” The air solidifies at that and all Kageyama can feel is his heart hammering in his chest. He clenches his fists.

“You will be chosen at random, drawing lots from this box. Then, you can choose a team of five, including yourself. Of course, the first trainee has been decided. Who do you think it is?” 

Collectively, Hoshiumi’s name rises. Madoka smiles. 

“Yes, our first center, Hoshiumi-kun. Please come forward.”

Even as he walks, his presence seems to fill the room. Just by being there, he is a force on his own. Kageyama can’t help but look forward to seeing what goes on in his head.

“Hoshiumi-kun, what kind of team are you planning to create?” 

_ Monsters, it has to be. _

_ It’s the season highlight, anyone in his position would. _

But, as Kageyama watches him scan the crowd calmly, with those huge piercing eyes, he can sense that that’s not what Hoshiumi is going for.

“I want to create the strongest team. One that can rival the monsters on its own merit,” he says boldly. Kageyama smiles to himself. Of course, he’s already strategized. The trainees let out whistles and egg him on, impressed at the gutsy statement.

“A, Sakusa Kiyoomi. C, Hakuba Gao. C, Takanobu Aone. And… B Teradomari Motoki.”

There’s a wave of shock at the unexpected choices. But Kageyama knows. Beside him, Bokuto chuckles.

“That’s some brain under that fluffy hair,” he remarks, turning to Kageyama, raising an eyebrow,  _ don’tcha think, Tobio? _ he seems to ask. Kageyama nods firmly in agreement.

The air stills as Hoshiumi fishes around the transparent box. When he finally cracks the egg open, Kageyama suddenly forgets how to breathe. 

“B, Akaashi Keiji.”

He absently claps along as the raven-haired boy heads to the front, expression calm. Surprisingly, Bokuto tenses slightly beside him. Kageyama turns to him, mildly surprised.

“Bokuto-san?” 

The elder turns to him with an easy smile, contradictory to his body language and his next words, “He’s gonna take it all.”

It is as he turns to face the front once more that he meets Akaashi’s cool gaze. The hairs on the back of his neck stand, electrified by the slight quirk of the other’s lips.

“A, Kageyama Tobio.”

His body moves on its own as he blinks out of his reverie. The next name sets his teeth on edge. 

“C, Oikawa Tooru.” Oikawa comes forward, a somewhat triumphant smile on his lips but it automatically vanishes when-

“A, Ushijima Wakatoshi.” The rest of the trainees let out a collective ‘ah’. Kageyama catches the tightness on their faces, as if they know where this is heading. 

“And B, Semi Eita.” That’s the killing blow. 

It is silently decided then; the birth of this season’s monster team.

* * *

“So, what’s the plan?” Iwaizumi asks as they settle into a circle for a ‘strategic meeting’. Bokuto frowns, as if deep in thought. Atsumu and Yamamoto are listlessly staring to the floor, picking at the carpet.

Surprisingly, it is Futakuchi of the Date three who speaks first in a frank, straightforward tone, foregoing all formality.

“I vote Sexy Zone,” he says, raising a hand, expression flat as wood.

“I second that,” comes Atsumu, slightly reluctantly. Bokuto huffs, obviously unsatisfied.

“I say Arashi,” he says, crossing his arms. Yamamoto raises his hand and points to the Snowl. “I second that!”

Iwaizumi mentally kicks himself for not saying anything earlier. Now, all four eyes are on him, the deal breaker. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he raises a hand and points towards-

“Hey! Say! Jump!” Hinata and Koganegawa turn to Goshiki, who’d answered at the same time as them. They grin at each other and turn to Aran, who wholly regrets his decision on keeping ‘neutral’.

“I mean, looking around at us, I guess we look the part. Youth, and all…” He reasons, gaze drifting to the three, who stare up at him eagerly.

“But you talk like an old man,” Terushima blurts out and it’s his factual tone that sends a pang through Aran’s heart. He lets out a heavy sigh.

“Fine, have your way,” he relents while the four grown children cheer, chanting ‘Aran ojiisan’ over and over, flocking towards him like squawking crows.

“Put your long-ass legs to use for once, would ya?” Hoshiumi says. Gao narrows his eyes at him.

“Maybe if you weren’t so short-” he starts but their squabble is interrupted by Teradomari clearing his throat with a sharp look. They back down for the time being, taking to glaring at each other intermittently.

“What’s our choice?” He asks. Sakusa eases against the wall in a relaxed fashion.

“As long as it’s not some chewing-gum crap, I don’t care,” he says and closes his eyes. The other four stare at him incredulously.

“Is he… sleeping?”

* * *

“Representatives, please line up!”

The trainees let out groans and panicked sounds as Ushijima and Gao step out to the starting line. Tanaka and a few other capable-looking people come forward as well. The odd one out is Hinata, buzzing with excitement as he jogs to his spot. The trainees laugh and shout encouragement.

“I would have thought they’d go for the bowl cut kid,” Oikawa remarks. Kageyama shakes his head slightly. “Hinata can do it,” he says. He doesn’t notice the elder turning to him and smiling, surprised at his confidence in his teammate.

The trainees hold their breaths, leaning forward, at the ready. The whistle blows, its shrill sound piercing the air. And they’re off. There’s immediately a cacophony of shouting, screaming and wailing.

Ushijima, as expected, is leading the pack but hot on his heels is-

“HINATA!” Koganegawa and Goshiki all but scream. The crowd watches, mouths hanging open as he barely overtakes Ushijima but-

“What’s the frickin’ point if there’s no fight?!” Atsumu cries in frustration as the two end up on opposite ends of the line of songs pasted on the board. 

“You want a fight, you got it!” Tanaka shouts over his shoulder as he runs, neck-to-neck with Yamamoto as they shove each other over the Arashi board. 

It soon turns into a comedic hand-slapping match; a battle of attrition. The trainees end up rolling on the floor with laughter, clutching their stomachs as the two go into a censored delinquent mode, cursing without really cursing.

In the end, Tanaka manages to wrangle the board free off of the Cat after it slips out of his grasp for just a split second. He is greeted by a wild Nishinoya and Lev, who egg the others on in chanting the Crow’s name.

Meanwhile, the mohawk drags his feet back to his group, who solemnly pat him on the back. 

“You kiddin’ me?!” Atsumu cries upon looking at what he brought back instead. Iwaizumi and Futakuchi groan, already expecting the world of pain to come. It is only Bokuto who seems to take the news positively.

“It’s good to have a challenge!” He says, grinning.

Yamamoto almost tears up staring at the board: Taemin.

“So, who wants to go first?” Aran asks. Hinata’s hand shoots up, just a second faster than the other two. Jumping up, he takes his stance while the others clap to the beat for him.

_ “Kono mama flash flash bokura ka gai ya te~”  _ He goes for the chorus with a bright smile, playing his kiddish charm to the max. His dance could improve, but then again, they’ve only been doing this for ten minutes so Aran pushes the thought away.

Koganegawa goes next. His energy’s good but he’s tall. And that might become a problem. Aran remembers to keep that in mind. Finally, Goshiki bolts up and it’s already looking good. His vocals fit almost perfectly and even with their few minutes of practice, he’s dancing like he’s done the routine for years.

He exchanges a look with Terushima who nods at him in silent agreement. 

The Swan’s eyes light up like a Christmas tree as they pat him down with the center sticker. Aran turns to the other two. 

“Koganegawa, you were alright. Your vocals were a bit shaky but the more pressing problem is your height. We can’t risk you completely covering everyone else up, alright?” The youngest of the Date three nods in understanding. Aran turns to Hinata, steeling himself.

“Now, Hinata. You and Goshiki were both close to perfect but there was just the slightest gap in experience and skill. We hope you understand,” he finishes, gently squeezing the young Crow’s shoulder with a reassuring smile. 

Hinata nods, and that fire in his eyes seems to burn brighter. Aran’s heart eases.

“I vote Miya even if he was the one complaining the most,” Futakuchi deadpans. Atsumu doesn’t know whether to feel offended or flattered. Bokuto claps his hands together.

“Well, that was easy enough. We believe in you, Tsum-tsum!” He says with that blinding smile. Atsumu almost cringes. They turn to Iwaizumi, who’s been awfully quiet this whole time. He doesn’t seem to notice them staring at him as he watches the tablet with intense focus.

Finally, he looks up at them with dark eyes. “If we wanna get this right, we have to start right. Now. We don’t want the monsters getting all the attention, do we?”

The other four shake their heads in unison. Iwaizumi smirks.

_ Well, we’ve got our own monsters, _ he thinks as he watches Bokuto and Atsumu figure the routine out.

“I think Yu should be the center,” Tanaka says, raising a hand. Nishinoya turns to him with a grin and the bump fists. Kuroo smiles and raises an eyebrow at the other two, who merely shrug and nod along.

“It’s settled then.”

They begin getting to work on distributing the other parts. Kuroo unanimously gets the main rapper position along with Nishinoya and Lev while Tanaka and surprisingly, Tendou, fill up the two vocal positions. Kuroo watches them work while they figure out the introduction, keeping a close eye on the red-head.

He’s got skill, and it’s no question why he got into White Swan, because he and Nishinoya take the lead in teaching the dance with amazing effectiveness. 

Kuroo was never much for dancing, much less for the B-boy stuff they’re going to be doing in their performance, and Lev just joined the company a year ago, so the fact that they’ve already progressed past the first verse without much hassle is, in itself, a huge leap. He watches quietly as Tendou patiently demonstrates parts to the young Cat. 

Nishinoya on the other hand, is teaching the express class, and Kuroo starts to think that he just wants to see him and Tanaka sweat. But it’s fun, even as his arms begin to ache and he swears he can hear his knees creaking.

_ Yes _ , he thinks,  _ this is fun _ . And he doesn’t want it to stop.

“So it’s one two, one two and three four five,” Sakusa starts, tapping out the beat, according to the song. Teradomari nods, following along, scribbling his lyrics in chicken scratch with little counts at the side. Gao leans over, tired of memorising lyrics.

“Your handwriting’s really nice, Tera-san,” Gao says, stifling his laughter. The elder turns on him, managing to grab him in a chokehold. Sakusa sighs, and shuffles over to Hoshiumi and Aone, who’re focused on practicing the chorus.

“I was thinking this verse here, should go after the bridge since the timing’s…” Hoshiumi nods along, eyes sharp, analysing the page. Sakusa’s vocabulary is impressive, and so is his rhythm. They’re making fast work, considering the song doesn’t originally have any rap in it, and it’s more of a ballad. But- 

“This is really good,” Aone says. Sakusa fixes him with an unreadable stare. “Of course it is.” The blonde meets his gaze easily, with those intense eyes and says, rather flatly, “I wasn’t doubting you.”

Sakusa smirks, shrugging. “It should be done by tomorrow.”

Kageyama watches passively as Akaashi performs the chorus flawlessly. His movements are precise, and his body is flexible, quickly adapting to the suave choreography. His subtle expressions are alluring and mesmerizing. 

They clap as he ends, bowing shyly and taking a seat. The gears in Kageyama’s mind begin to move, trying to place the pieces of their jigsaw puzzle-like group together. Oikawa rises for his turn. 

Right off the bat, his expression changes; a little smirk, a little quirk of his eyebrows. He dances with a flair only he can pull off and it is then, that Kageyama knows. His voice is smooth like velvet, exactly what they need and he knows how to pull the crowd. And, Kageyama knows, from the years they’ve spent together, that Oikawa knows this as well.

It’s a unanimous decision. Akaashi bows his head with a small smile, as if he’d known it was a losing battle. Semi claps his hands together, eyes uncharacteristically bright and gleaming.

“Shall we?”

Their first vocal run-through of the song is good. Oikawa’s light tone is charming, coupled with Akaashi and Semi’s mid-range, velvety lilts. Ushijima’s voice is the backbone, contrasting while maintaining a balance, rooting the song without letting it float too much on the upper range. Kageyama’s in good condition himself, bridging the gap between the five of them seamlessly.

There’s a bubbling in his stomach, a tingle that makes him feel hungry.  _ Ah, _ he thinks as he steals a glance at the other four,  _ this is greed. _

“I’m starving!” Hinata announces, joining them, cheeks tinted rose from the bath.

“It’s been a while since we had dinner together,” Tanaka says, scarfing down his gyudon. Nishinoya hums in agreement, slurping his bowl of miso soup. 

If he remembers correctly, it’s been about three weeks since it was all four of them. They’d been eating in classes since the re-evaluation, not being able to find much time in between to catch up. Their conversation lulls as they stuff their faces after a long day of filming. It’s Kageyama who tentatively breaks the peaceful silence first, much to their surprise.

“I heard Hoshiumi-san’s group added rap parts to theirs,” he says nonchalantly. The three of them balk at the discovery.

“Oomi rapping on a ballad? I didn’t see that coming,” Nishinoya says, thoroughly enjoying his udon. 

“I wonder if they can make it, though. We’ve only got two weeks, after all,” Tanaka thinks aloud. Hinata buzzes with pent up energy beside Kageyama, who turns to him with an annoyed, silent  _ ‘what’ _ .

“We’re planning to add something as well!” He tells them excitedly. Tanaka and Nishinoya let out low  _ ‘ooh’s  _ while Kageyama raises an eyebrow. Hinata grins. “But Ojiro-jiisan says we can’t tell anyone, so you’ll have to wait until the end!” He recites like a model student. The two elders burst into laughter, Kageyama almost choking on his rice.

“Ojiro-jiisan?!” They exclaim, garnering some attention from the other trainees sitting nearby. A few tables down, Aran frowns, calling out a ‘what’ that has the whole cafeteria in giggles.

“I should be sleeping there. I’m older than you,” Atsumu says, sticking his head upside down, glaring at Futakuchi. The other merely ignores him, focused on writing in his progress diary. “By a month,” he says, not even bothering to look their center in the eye.

Granted, he’d been the last one to move in after they shifted rooms according to teams. But still, it sucks.

“You’ll survive, Tsum-tsum!” Bokuto calls out from the bathroom, mouthful of toothpaste. 

“Easy for you to say, you got the extra bunk to yourself!” He snaps. What he gets in response is a hearty laugh and the door sliding close. Groaning, the blonde lies back down with a huff. His hand feels around until he takes hold of a simple soft-covered notebook.

It’s been weeks but he’s only filled in two entries, both of them barely half a page, mostly complaining about how the shower’s too cold and how the rice in the cafeteria is dry, unlike the good stuff his brother makes back home. There’s a pang in his heart then, but he pushes it away just as it seems to overwhelm him.

With an exasperated sigh, he snaps it close.

“What the hell are we supposed to write in here anyway?” He asks aloud, not expecting an answer. But Futakuchi gives him one anyway, in that unfiltered, unempathetic way he always does.

“About how much you’ve messed up so far,” he deadpans. And Atsumu swears he hears either Iwaizumi or Yamamoto snicker, adding to his annoyance. Once more, the bathroom door slides open and Bokuto pokes his head round, shaving cream covering half his face this time.

“It helps, trust me. Something like, ‘today sucked, I missed a step and got scolded but I’ll try harder next time’,” he says, matter-of-factly. Iwaizumi sets his book down, raising an eyebrow at their main dancer.

“Is that what you do?” He asks. Bokuto hums, thinking hard. Then, “Nope! But it sounds like something Tsum-tsum over there needs.” And shuts the door behind him again.

The room bursts into laughter. Atsumu can even hear Futakuchi snorting below him.

“Shut up!” He cries and closes his eyes, trying to focus on sleeping instead.

Three hours later, he finds that he can’t. 

Slowly, so slowly, he gathers the notebook and the special pen-with-a-light thing that came along with it. Without a second thought, he begins to write.

* * *

“Kitten, keep your weight focused at your core. Don’t strain your arm,” Tendou calls out in a sort of drawl, with a lazy, half-lidded smile. Lev nods, shifting his position and trying once more, pressing his lips in determination. It’s just the three of them for now, while Nishinoy and Tanaka are out, having been summoned by the staff.

Kuroo watches, absently sucking on his bottle of water.

“What’s your deal?” He asks in a sort of deadpan way, like he doesn’t really care if the redhead answers or not. Tendou looks at him curiously before breaking into a smirk.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” He says conspiratorially. Kuroo meets him with a cool gaze. “I would.” 

Tendou slowly turns his chin to the air, staring at the ceiling, pondering in silence for a moment. “I’m here because my company asked me to be here. That’s all,” he says breezily. Then, he turns to Kuroo once more and raises an amused eyebrow. 

“Does that answer your question?”

Kuroo scoffs, laughing breathily. “I just wanted to hear it from you.” Tendou shrugs, rising from his squatting position with a small smile.

“Get your ass up, we’re gonna practice-”

It is then that the Crow duo reappear, a video camera at hand, vlogging.

“Ooh~ You guys are hard at work!” Tanaka greets with that wild energy he always seems to bring about. Tendou sighs and flops to the floor. The two take to bothering him, zooming up on him and asking nonsensical questions like, ‘We heard from Aone that you sleep naked, is it true?’.

Kuroo pretends to keep busy with replaying their practice video as they move on to Lev, coddling him and making him carry Tanaka on his back. He tries his best to blend into the walls, to melt into the floor but it’s no good.

“Ah, kuroNeko-dono! Why don’tcha spit some bars for us?!” Nishinoya hollers, going for a faux samurai accent. Tanaka jumps on him, making sure he doesn’t try to run, not that he has any energy to. 

He gives a tired smile to the camera, silently pleading whoever it is that’s going to be watching them to save him.

“kuroNeko! kuroNeko!” The two chant, showing off their apparently bottomless reserve of energy. With a sigh, puts a hand over his mouth in a mock rapper stance. Tanaka begins beatboxing, trying to pump him up with a completely irregular beat.

“One two three four, please scram out the front door beforeIkickyourasses!” He roars, using the last of his energy to chase them away, baring his nonexistent fangs as Lev and Tendou crack up in the background.

“And what have we got here?!” Hinata and Terushima appear at the glass door, sticking their faces close enough to fog it up.

“Just ignore them,” Kageyama says without a second glance but it’s too late because Oikawa is already striking poses while the two cameramen entertain him, going wild, taking wonky shots and exclaiming excitedly. 

“We’ll take five,” Ushijima says, and continues to practice. 

Semi’s laugh rings around the practice studio as the two pranksters apparently lose interest in Oikawa and abruptly walk away. Their center harrumphs and stomps away to a corner, like a five-year-old. Then, just a few seconds later, they reappear and burst into the room in chaotic fashion.

“So, how does it feel to be in the constant presence of the King, Keiji-kun?” Terushima interrogates the raven-haired boy, an arm around his shoulders. Akaashi doesn’t seem to notice the lasers coming out of Oikawa’s eyes as he answers a plain  _ ‘It’s okay’. _

  
  


The two cameramen and the two-toned blonde burst into voracious laughter, clutching their stomachs as Oikawa seethes,  _ you’re supposed to be way more enthusiastic! _

It is then that Semi reaches out for the camera, taking it from Hinata and guiding him to Ushijima.

“Sho-chan, on a scale of one to ten, how scary is Ushijima Wakatoshi?” He asks, playing reporter now. Beside him, Terushima snickers.

Hinata visibly freezes up, his eyes going wide, mind going blank as Ushijima turns to him, waiting insistently on his answer.

“Z-zero! He’s a very fun guy and n-not scary at all!” The orange-haired boy squeaks. Everyone bursts into laughter at his panic. Even the mighty Ushijima lets out a chuckle.

Kageyama watches him, slightly surprised at the elder’s pure display of emotion and smiles. Then his eyes drift towards Oikawa, who also happens to be looking at the ex-athlete, but the expression on his face is a little different- something conflicted and confused. 

It’s only for a second, then he goes back to laughing as him and Akaashi chase the two out.

Kageyama doesn’t have time to linger on it before Semi is calling for them to start practice again.

* * *

“Don’tcha ever need to go pee during a performance?” Teradomari asks offhandedly as they hang out in their dorm after a particularly gruelling practice. Hoshiumi turns to him with a frown.

“What.”

“I mean, I needed to take a piss real bad while we were waiting for our first evaluation,” he says, like it’s the most normal conversation to ever come up.

“I do, but it goes away as soon as the music comes on,” Aone answers, peeling his shirt off for a shower. Teradomari puts his hand out for a high-five, to which he is promptly ignored.

“I don’t get that, but I sweat a lot before we even get on stage,” Gao says, as if reflecting profoundly on his past actions. “Man, that sucks.”

“I know, and the make up ladies are always on my case about it,” the giant of the group says with a sorrowful sigh.

“Aone, hurry up. I wanna brush my teeth,” Sakusa says, completely ignoring their conversation, jotting down notes in his progress notebook. Teradomari stretches with a contented sigh as he buries his face into his pillow.

“I’m gonna turn in. Korai, wake me up,” he says and almost immediately switches his system off. The room is quiet for a moment before Gao leans down to check on the elder.

“How the hell does he do that?” He wonders aloud, in awe.

“Kiyoomi, have you figured out the bridge yet?” Hoshiumi asks, sticking his head out, platinum-blonde mane flurrying about. Sakusa fixes him with a tired look.

“Almost there,” he says. The center nods firmly in acknowledgement before looking to Gao on the opposite top bunk, narrowing his eyes.

“Wake up when I tell you to,” he says. His labelmate sticks a tongue out and promptly goes back to writing in his own notebook.

* * *

**HIGH QUALITY IDOL 5 [HQ!! TV] Relay Cam | 日向 & 西谷 Rounding the practice rooms! EP. 3 120826**

288,921 views · 2 days ago

Comments | 2K

your majesty · 23 hours ago

i literally melted when ushiwaka laughed…

red robin · 2 days ago

love all these behind the scenes clips you can really see how close and comfortable all of them are with each other uwu

squeakE Clean · 1 day ago

hinata, bringing sunshine with him wherever he goes \^0^/

mememe · 11 hours ago

the crows really wreaking havoc wherever they go… stan chaotic kings!!!

kompact · 20 hours ago

LMAOOOO AONE JUST STRAIGHT UP CONFIRMING TENDOU SLEEPS NAKED WITHOUT EVEN BATTING AN EYE AND NISHINOYAS LAUGHJSDHJHBJ

**HIGH QUALITY IDOL 5 [NEXT WEEK] Group Battle Live! Who will top the ranks? EP. 4 120902**

399,321 views · 3 days ago

Comments | 2.8K

king&prince · 2 days ago

GET THAT ENDING FAIRY KAGEYAMA!!!

black wolf · 22 hours ago

why is goshiki crying please dont cry baby T-T

chan-chan · 1 day ago

LET THE FANCAMS RAIN ON ME!!!!!!

Emily the Strange · 5 hours ago

can’t wait for oikawa to shine as the enter he deserves <3

peach · 2 days ago

This looks so intense I don’t think I’m ready…

* * *

**NATION’S ACE** @ushioshi · 3m

omg the rankings changed so much wtf

**BOWLCUT LOVE** @tsutomutomato · 5m

MY BOY YES GET THAT TOP NINE!!! TWO WEEKS IN A ROW!!!

**GUARDIAN DEITY** @noyassan · 33s

i’m so proud of my baby it’s main dancer noya’s time to shine!

**HQDOL5 GLOBAL** @global_hqdol5 · 10m

Due to popular demand, we will be tracking changes in the rankings after every episode.

**HQDOL5 GLOBAL** @global_hqdol5 · 8m

1\. [=] Akaashi Keiji  
2\. [+3] Oikawa Tooru  
3\. [+8] Miya Atsumu  
4\. [+20] Sakusa Kiyoomi  
5\. [-2] Bokuto Kotaro

|

6\. [=] Ushijima Wakatoshi  
7\. [-3] Kageyama Tobio  
8\. [-1] Goshiki Tsutomu  
9\. [-7] Kuroo Tetsuro  
10\. [-1] Nishinoya Yu

|

11\. [-1] Hoshiumi Korai  
12\. [-4] Semi Eita  
13\. [-1] Iwaizumi Hajime  
14\. [+10] Ojiro Aran  
15\. [+8] Hinata Shoyo

|

Show full thread

* * *

r/hqdoru

[+901 -22] Posted by u/idorupdeusa - 3 days ago

**[DISCUSSION] #HQDOL5 EP.03 OPEN TALK**

This is a discussion thread for EPISODE 3. Feel free to talk about the episode and share updates from  **official sources ONLY** (unofficial spoilers will be taken down and will result in a one-day ban). No fighting.

TAGS: hqdoru5, spoilers

peach [701 points - 3 days ago]

first off, I’m gonna start by saying that i am eternally grateful that this week’s episode was a lot more lighthearted than the emotional mess that was ep 2 because i dont think i wouldve survived another sobbing session. now that’s out of the way, i shall be talking about my top 3 most looked-forward to teams for next week’s battle.

1\. Team Famous

honestly my favourite part of the episode was them despairing when they didnt get arashi and bokuto just -ok let’s do this!!! I do understand why they were so stressed about it though i mean the choreo is so difficult it’s gonna be quite hard to pull off. I think their team is really unique and i know we havent seen much of center atsumu but i cant help but feel that this song is so perfect for him. him and futakuchi’s chemistry is also quickly becoming my favourite in the entire show (i heard the japanese fans call them the jerk duo… i agree). Also their team works in such a dysfunctional way it’s so fun to watch!!!

2\. Team A Day in Our Life

I’m actually so pumped to watch them because a) the original song is so fun b) all the members really match the energy of the song. At first when tendou became a vocal, i was rather doubtful but i think his sing-song style is actually really fitting!!! Kuroo, nishinoya and lev rapping together is a dream come tru theyre so funny and dumb. Tanaka going for lead vocal instead of rap… i really respect him wanting to do what he feels relaxed with instead of pushing himself for rap even though that’s what people expect of him~ I just REALLY love this group and their chemistry uwu

3\. Monster Team

Of course, who could forget the highlight of the season?! I really have to commend the evil genius hiding behind a pretty face: Akaashi. He saw the chance and really took it. Oikawa as center for this song is a match made in heaven tbh i just KNOW hes gonna blow it out of the water! The best part about this group (apart from the mouth watering visuals) is that…. They don’t have any chemistry with each other at all in real life >.< theyre! So! Awkward! But when they practice, it all goes out the window and you can tell theyre the most professional~

Reply

>onepunchwoman [505 points - 3 days ago]

For me, it’s gotta be 

1\. Team Fanfare

The first reason is, of course hinata (my boy jumped into the top 20!) but! It’s mainly because of the (as dubbed by japanese fans) beagle bunch led by ojiro-jiisan ^0^ i just think they are the group with the most genuine, pure chemistry i’ve ever seen. Hinata and goshiki’s fierce competition with each other and koganegawa who always gets caught in the middle along with terushima who eggs them on and of course, aran who can’t seem to catch a break, poor guy didnt know what he was getting into. They’re so affectionate with each other and their teamwork is so perfect. It genuinely looks like theyre having a great time and thats exactly what i love to see.

2\. Team Love and Love

Now, I know a lot of people were really confused about hoshiumi’s picks for this team (i was one of them tbh) because well, he had the world at his palms and he couldve just created the ultimate monster team but! I totally understand what we was thinking now and wow, his brain is just /galaxy brain/ because honestly, objectively speaking, theyre the most balanced team in the whole competition right now. Aone has the perfect vocals for this song, and we’ve all seen just how skilled hoshiumi himself is. Gao has a high aptitude for dancing and sakusa is basically and all rounder. But i think what sets them apart is the fact that theyre changing the whole song from a pure ballad to a slow jam with the inclusion of the rap parts (That theyre! Writing themselves! From scratch!) I’m really looking forward to them and I can’t wait to sad body roll along to their performance >.<

3\. Monster Team

I’ll just be talking about them because well, they are the most standout but there really isnt much to say because theyre practically perfect! It’s like the song was made for them! Theyre the team that’s got it all - visuals, talent and professionalism. I wouldnt be surprised if they win it all (I would love for a sudden twist, but that’s just my wishful thinking). I know it’s too early to say this but they might just be the most monster team across all 5 seasons.

Reply

mememe [699 points - 2 days ago]

My favourite moments of this episode:

  * Oikawa’s laugh during the morning wake up call when he saw the others dancing
  * Iwaizumi’s “iS thiS a CuLt?”
  * Atsumu’s bold proclamation. It especially moves me to see him opening up and how much the other trainees actually like hanging out with him, which just shows that he really isnt such a bad guy.
  * Ojiro-jiisan. Enough said. Makes me laugh every time.
  * HINATA OVERTAKING A NATIONAL ATHLETE IN A FOOTRACE!!!
  * Team Famous’ absolutely bonkers dysfuntional chemistry



Reply

melodic heart [301 points - 2 days ago]

my predictions for the group battle:

-someone’s gonna jump like 20 places after their fancam goes viral

-someone messes up

-monster team wins and no one is surprised

-someone from an underdog team is gonna take the overall first place

Reply

>redriot [411 points - 13 hours ago]

bro that wasnt even a prediction it’s something that happens every season…

Reply

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> List of songs:  
> -[Arashi - A Day in Our Life](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPxPCkR1OLY&list=LLu_rySLxPu3kLSPP891ddGg&index=7)  
> -[Sexy Zone - カラクリだらけのテンダネス (Tenderness Full of Colour)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xE7DZ6FdZM&list=LLu_rySLxPu3kLSPP891ddGg&index=11&t=0s)  
> -[Taemin - Famous](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL7Sh4REC5k)  
> -[三代目 J SOUL BROTHERS - 恋と愛 (Love and Love)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSl265i7CPU)  
> -[Hey! Say! Jump! - ファンファーレ！(Fanfare!)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06ysIgf-kJo)

**Author's Note:**

> im on twitter @uwushiwakas and @nnakomatsus or maybe if you ever wanna talk about the fic without my knowing you can use #hqdol5


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